Washington Nationals add Cade Cavalli to the stable of pitchers

With the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft in the books, the Washington Nationals welcome pitcher Cade Cavalli to the team.

As the Washington Nationals sat on the clock with the twenty-second pick of the first round, Nats fans knew the team was going to select a pitcher, just which one? Cole Wilcox? J.T. Ginn? Would Jared Kelley fall? He did, but when the musical chairs stopped, Cade Cavalli was the one who found himself sitting in front of the defending Champions.

Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo has made a habit of selecting pitchers with his first-round pick in recent years. Seven of the last nine first-round picks have been pitchers, and Cavalli joins last year’s pick Jackson Rutledge as back to back selections of power arms.

Cavalli has touched 98 mph on the radar gun, though he has struggled at times with his control. In 101 career innings at Oklahoma Cavalli walked 53 hitters. In the shortened season this year, he walked only five in twenty-three innings, while striking out 37.

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Ranked the twenty-second best prospect in the draft class, Cavalli was selected right there. Some mock drafts had him going as high as sixteen, as there is tremendous upside with his arm.

Along with his overpowering fastball, Cavalli offers an above-average slider and comes at hitters with his intimidating 6-4 frame.

Cavalli does have an injury history as he was sidelined for three weeks at one point with a stress reaction in his arm. As a senior in high school, he sat out most of the year with a lingering back injury. Here’s hoping this doesn’t flare up anytime soon.

Time will tell if this selection works out for the Nationals, though the Cade Cavalli pick is approved in the court of public opinion. He comes from good stock, as his father was drafted in the 1989 MLB draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Great start for the Nationals in the 2020 draft, time to see what Day 2 brings.