Cade Cavalli Joins Max Scherzer as Only Nationals Pitchers to Accomplish This Feat

After Washington Nationals ace Cade Cavalli threw a sweeper that curved into the strike zone for a called strike three, he yelled into his glove as he walked off the mound.

Cavalli, who had a winding road to get to this point in his career, not only had just completed the best outing of his major league career when he allowed just one hit across eight innings pitched against the Chicago Cubs after he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. But that strikeout was also his 10th of the ballgame, which put him into some rare air in franchise history.

Per the team's social media account, Cavalli joined Max Scherzer in 2015 as the only starting pitchers in Nationals history to have two or more games in a single season with at least seven innings pitched while allowing one hit or less and having 10-plus strikeouts.

Cade Cavalli Having Stellar Debut Season Just Like Max Scherzer

Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli talks with catcher Keibert Ruiz | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If Scherzer's 2015 season sounds familiar, that's because it was his first with Washington after he signed the seven-year, $210 million contract with them in free agency.

That campaign was also an incredibly special one, as Scherzer recorded two no-hitters -- against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 20 where he struck out 10 batters, and against the New York Mets on Oct. 3 where he rung up 17 -- and finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting after posting an ERA of 2.79 across 33 starts and 228 2/3 innings pitched with 276 strikeouts to 34 walks.

Cavalli isn't going to get to those numbers this year, but his debut season with the Nationals isn't anything to sneeze at, either. Through 26 starts and 136 2/3 innings, he has a 3.36 ERA with 151 strikeouts to 41 walks and 10 wins. That is impressive for a guy who is having his first full season since 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

There is a lot of internal confidence in what Cavalli can do and become during his career. Washington has stated they want to build their rotation around the now-28-year-old (his birthday is on Aug. 14). And performances like the one he had on Friday only create more belief that he can be the No. 1 of this rotation as other high-end prospects continue to develop.

While the likelihood of Cavalli becoming a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer like Scherzer is slim, he has put together an incredible debut season with the Nationals just like Scherzer did. The hope is this year will propel him to great heights, just like how 2015 was the launching pad for Scherzer's incredible tenure in the nation's capital.

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