Cade Cavalli Has Become Key Figure Nationals Want to Build Around
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Cade Cavalli is the new ace of the Washington Nationals.
That became the case after MacKenzie Gore was shipped to the Texas Rangers this winter, and he'll be the Opening Day starter when the Nationals face the Chicago Cubs on March 26. Cavalli has impressed this offseason. Not only did he come in with a better pitch mix that should upgrade his arsenal, but after his lengthy rehab process recovering from Tommy John surgery, his velocity is higher than it was when he returned to the big league mound last year.
This could be a breakout season for Cavalli. He's looked excellent so far during spring training, and the expectation is he's going to become the star pitcher he was billed as being when he was a top prospect. But Washington believes the right-hander will be more important to this rebuild than just being an elite pitcher, because they view him as a building block for this franchise.
Paul Toboni Shares Glowing Remarks About Cade Cavalli
In an article from Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required), the former MLB executive highlighted a player from each major league team "who is turning heads this spring." For the Nationals, that's been Cavalli. And president of baseball operations Paul Toboni explained why.
"Cade has made some adjustments to his pitch mix that we're all very excited about. But most excited about the guy that he is, the leader that he is ... he's an extremely competitive, accountable player who can serve as a model for others on the team," Toboni told Bowden.
That has been the theme surrounding Cavalli throughout the spring. When manager Blake Butera told his ace that they decided to hand him the ball on Opening Day, Cavalli said he was ready to set the tone for the season. It's clear he's become a leader on this team, and not just for the other starters in the rotation, but for every player on the roster.
There Will Be Pressue on Cade Cavalli to Perform Well
There's pressure on every major league player to perform well. But this upcoming season is going to be the most pressure-packed campaign of Cavalli's life. Not only has he been handed the keys to Washington's starting rotation, but he's also expected to have a breakout year. And considering he only has 48 2/3 big league innings under his belt since returning from his lengthy absence due to Tommy John surgery, the righty will need to hit the ground running to start off the 2026 season.
Thankfully, he's been flat-out dominant in spring training thus far. Across his three starts where he's thrown nine innings, he's given up just one hit and hasn't allowed a single run with nine strikeouts compared to two walks. While results in the spring don't matter a ton, his performance is a good sign that he's taken his game to the next level.
Cavalli has set himself up to have a breakout season by upgrading his arsenal. But it's his leadership that makes the Nationals want to build around him as a key part of this franchise going forward.
Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai