Skip Johnson Praises Cade Cavalli's Arm Talent, Character: 'He Can Pitch With Anybody in the Country'

The 2020 MLB draft has come and gone, and as expected, Cade Cavalli didn’t have to wait long to hear his name called.

The Washington Nationals landed Oklahoma’s ace right-hander at pick No. 22, making Cavalli the highest-drafted Sooner pitcher since Jonathan Gray in 2013. The Nats would later secure Cavalli’s battery mate as well, drafting Sooners catcher Brady Lindsly in the fourth round.

Nobody was more thrilled to see Cavalli come off the board than Oklahoma head coach Skip Johnson, who tweeted his congratulations with a little assist from Kyler Murray. In a Thursday press conference via Zoom, Johnson fawned over his ace’s qualities, praising Cavalli’s outstanding character above all else.

“We talk about intangibles, and I tell this story to a lot of guys,” Johnson said. “Coach [Clay] Van Hook’s mom was diagnosed with cancer, and I called him on a Wednesday and I was like, ‘Hey, it’s not an option, you’re going to see your mother today.’ And when the team got to the field, I was like, ‘We’re going to pray for Coach Van Hook’s mother. Cade, would you lead us in prayer?’ And he prayed, and it was like he was reading it off his shoe. I mean, it was powerful. That’s a leadership quality you can’t teach.”

As far as Cavalli’s ability on the diamond, Johnson likened him to a late, great Miami Marlins fireballer.

“When you saw [Jose] Fernandez, you felt what he felt when he pitched,” Johnson said. “He put everything he had into the game, and that’s what you’re gonna see with Cade… he can spin the ball, he’s athletic, he’s super charismatic.”

Physically, Cavalli has it all: a chiseled 6-foot-4 frame, a blazing fastball, a wipeout slider, and the smoothest of deliveries. But Johnson says it’s preparation and mental acumen that set Cavalli apart. He’s always had elite arm talent, but he’s cultivated a pitcher’s mentality under Johnson’s tutelage.

“He’s smart enough to go through the scouting report and attack the scouting report,” Johnson noted. “What’s tough at times is when you try to make those guys swing and miss. When you try to make ‘em swing and miss, you get out of control. And once you get out of control, you’re done. And so I think that’s the biggest thing Cade’s learned.”

Johnson, who previously served as the Sooners’ pitching coach, has been tight with his star right-hander since Cavalli’s days at Bixby High School. Johnson says he never pushed Cavalli to exclusively pursue pitching, and left the door open for his prized recruit to choose his own path.

“He was one of the first guys that I went and saw,” Johnson said. “And he was out [injured] that summer; I didn’t get to watch him play. We didn’t know if he was going to be a shortstop, a third baseman, or a pitcher. And so I told him, and I tell this to every guy that’s a two-way guy: You’re going to tell us when you decide if you want to stop hitting or stop pitching. You’ll tell us. If we make that decision for you, then you don’t own it. And we want you to own it.”

For Cavalli, that moment finally came during his stint with Team USA’s collegiate national team in 2019. Cavalli was coming off a sophomore season in which he’d hit .319 with four homers and pitched to a 5-3 record with a 3.28 ERA. But despite his prowess as a position player, his otherworldly arm talent eventually won out. Cavalli informed Johnson that he wanted to focus on pitching, and spent the offseason refining his skills on the mound.

When spring rolled around, Cavalli had emerged as the Sooners’ unquestioned ace, and it wasn’t hard to see why. His fastball, which once registered 93-94 mph on the radar gun, now topped out at 98.

“Cade’s got an 800-yard driver in his bag,” Johnson raved. “It’s crazy. I’ve been around Clayton Kershaw, I’ve been around Homer Bailey. I’ve been around a bunch of big leaguers. And he throws as easy as any of those guys. If he’s hot, he can pitch with anybody in the country.”

Considering the fact that Cavalli spent much of his first two collegiate seasons playing the field, it’s safe to say he’s got plenty of untapped potential as a pitcher. Now that he’s devoted himself to honing his craft on the mound, Cavalli’s manager thrills at the possibilities.

“This guy just now started pitching,” Johnson said. “He’d barely logged 100 innings. It’s a great draft pick by [Washington]. Unbelievable.”

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