Cade Cavalli Bio
Steven Cade Cavalli is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Nationals selected him 22nd overall in the 2020 MLB draft, and he made his major league debut with Washington in August 2022. A right-handed starter who came up through the Oklahoma Sooners college program, Cavalli has built his reputation on a heavy fastball and high strikeout totals at every level he has played.
Early Life and Background
Steven Cade Cavalli was born on August 14, 1998, in Bixby, Oklahoma. He grew up in Bixby and attended Bixby High School, where he starred on the school baseball team as both a pitcher and a position player. As a junior in 2016, Cavalli posted a 7–1 record with a 2.02 earned run average (ERA) on the mound and batted .416 with four home runs and 47 runs batted in (RBIs) at the plate, drawing early attention from Major League scouts.
His senior season in 2017 was cut short by a back injury that limited his exposure. The Atlanta Braves selected him in the 29th round of the 2017 MLB draft, but Cavalli opted not to sign, choosing instead to continue his playing career at the University of Oklahoma.
Path to Baseball
Cavalli enrolled at the University of Oklahoma and played college baseball for the Oklahoma Sooners. During his freshman year in 2018, he pitched to a 6.75 ERA over 17⅓ innings while also hitting .202 with six home runs and 28 RBIs as a two-way player. After that season, he joined the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League for collegiate summer ball.
As a sophomore in 2019, Cavalli went 5–3 with a 3.28 ERA in 12 starts and batted .319 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. He spent part of that summer pitching for the United States collegiate national baseball team. Entering his junior year in 2020 as a top draft prospect, he was named the Big 12 Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year before the season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, finishing with a 4.18 ERA and 37 strikeouts over 23⅔ innings in four starts.
Cade Cavalli Career
Draft and Early Career (2020–2021)
The Washington Nationals selected Cavalli with the 22nd overall pick in the first round of the 2020 MLB draft, and he signed for a $3 million bonus. He did not play a minor league game in 2020 after the minor league season was canceled because of the pandemic. To begin 2021, the Nationals assigned him to the Wilmington Blue Rocks of the High-A East, where he posted a 3–1 record and a 1.77 ERA over 40⅔ innings in his professional debut.
On June 14, 2021, Cavalli was promoted to the Harrisburg Senators of the Double-A Northeast. Later that month he was selected for the All-Star Futures Game at Coors Field. After going 3–3 with a 2.79 ERA and 80 strikeouts over 58 innings with Harrisburg, he moved up to the Rochester Red Wings of the Triple-A East in mid-August. Across all three affiliates in 2021, Cavalli led the minor leagues with 175 strikeouts.
MLB Debut and Tommy John Surgery (2022–2023)
Cavalli returned to Rochester to open the 2022 season and was again chosen for the All-Star Futures Game. On August 26, 2022, the Nationals selected his contract, and he made his MLB debut that night at Nationals Park against the Cincinnati Reds. He pitched 4⅓ innings, striking out six, in a 7–3 loss. Right shoulder inflammation ended his season after that outing.
Cavalli reported for spring training in 2023 contending for a rotation spot, but on March 14, 2023, he sprained the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow while facing the New York Mets. He underwent Tommy John surgery, which kept him out for the entire 2023 season.
Recovery and 2024 Comeback
After a lengthy rehabilitation, Cavalli returned to the mound during the second half of 2024. A bout of influenza and lingering dead-arm issues limited him to three minor league appearances that year — one with the Single-A Fredericksburg Nationals of the Carolina League and two with Wilmington of the South Atlantic League — covering 8⅓ innings with a 2.18 ERA and no decisions. Although he finished 2024 healthy, he did not return to the major league club that season.
Washington Nationals Era (2025)
Cavalli spent the 2024–25 offseason on a regular throwing program and joined the Nationals for 2025 spring training. He began 2025 with the Rochester Red Wings, making 17 starts and going 4–7 with a 5.35 ERA in 74 innings. His form improved as the year progressed, and over his final four starts he struck out 25 batters across 20⅓ innings without issuing a walk in his last two outings totaling 10 innings.
The Nationals recalled him in August 2025, and on August 6 he made his second MLB appearance, 1,076 days after his first, starting against the Athletics at Nationals Park. He pitched 4⅓ scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out six in a 2–1 Washington win. His four-seam fastball averaged 97.3 mph, with one pitch reaching 100.1 mph. On August 16, 2025, Cavalli earned his first major league victory, going seven innings against the Philadelphia Phillies and allowing seven hits with five strikeouts in a 2–0 Nationals win at Nationals Park.
Driving Style and Strengths
Cavalli relies on a power four-seam fastball that comfortably sits in the upper-90s and has touched triple digits, paired with a sharp breaking ball. His hallmark at every level has been swing-and-miss stuff and high strikeout totals, highlighted by leading the minor leagues with 175 strikeouts in 2021. He has also shown improved control late in 2025, issuing no walks in his final 20⅓ innings with Rochester before his recall.
Notable Events and Milestones
Cavalli was a two-time All-Star Futures Game selection (2021, 2022), made his MLB debut against the Cincinnati Reds in 2022, and became the sixth pitcher in Nationals history to record 12 or more strikeouts across his first two major league appearances following his 2025 return. His 1,076-day gap between his first and second MLB outings stands as one of the longer waits in recent franchise history.
Cade Cavalli Career Highlights
Across his minor and major league career, Cavalli has logged most of his wins in the lower minors and Triple-A, with one MLB victory confirmed to date. He has been especially productive in the High-A and Double-A ranks, where his strikeout totals have consistently stood out.
Minor League Highlights
In 2021, Cavalli went 3–1 with a 1.77 ERA for Wilmington before being promoted, then went 3–3 with a 2.79 ERA for Harrisburg. He led all minor leaguers with 175 strikeouts that year. In 2025 at Rochester, he went 4–7 with a 5.35 ERA in 17 starts, finishing the year strong with 25 strikeouts across his last 20⅓ innings.
MLB Wins and Performances
Cavalli’s first MLB win came on August 16, 2025, when he threw seven scoreless innings against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park. His only other MLB start, on August 6, 2025, against the Athletics, produced 4⅓ scoreless innings in a 2–1 victory. He made one previous appearance on August 26, 2022, against the Cincinnati Reds.
Cade Cavalli Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Cavalli was raised in Bixby, Oklahoma. Public details about his parents and immediate family have not been confirmed.
Personal Life
Cavalli is known publicly as Steven Cade Cavalli. Confirmed information about a spouse or children has not been published.
2025 Season Performance
Cavalli’s 2025 campaign began at Triple-A Rochester, where he made 17 starts and posted a 4–7 record with a 5.35 ERA across 74 innings. His results improved markedly as the schedule wore on, and he did not allow a walk in his final two starts covering 10 innings, showing the control gains the Nationals had hoped to see after his Tommy John recovery.
Those late-season outings earned him an August recall to Washington. In two starts with the Nationals in August 2025, he gave up no earned runs over 11⅓ innings and picked up his first major league win. His fastball velocity remained a strength, averaging 97.3 mph and topping out at 100.1 mph in his first start back.
Looking ahead, Cavalli’s combination of swing-and-miss stuff, improved command, and a clean bill of health position him as a candidate for a more permanent role in the Washington rotation. Continued consistency with his fastball command and breaking-ball execution will likely determine how quickly he secures a long-term spot in the Nationals’ starting plans.