For Cade Cavalli, this season was a long time coming.
Not just for the three years since making his Major League debut and then being sidelined by injuries – for his entire baseball career. Cavalli, 27, completed his first season as a healthy big league starter.
The electric right-hander returned to the Majors on Aug. 6 from a lengthy Tommy John surgery rehab and made 10 starts for Washington. Between the Major and Minor Leagues this season, Cavalli threw 122 2/3 innings.
“Feeling very grateful,” said Cavalli, a 2020 first-round Draft pick. “I don't know how else to put it. It’s been a long, long road to have a full season healthy.”
Cavalli’s 2025 performance is encouraging for the Nationals as they look to build their starting rotation for ‘26. Washington concluded this year with Cavalli, MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, Brad Lord and Andrew Alvarez in the rotation.
“I hope that I have great results [this offseason] and I'm able to carry on what I've learned this year – mentally, physically, understanding the travel, understanding how to take care of your body when you're flying every three days sometimes,” Cavalli said. “That's something that I hadn't done yet.”
Cavalli went 3-1 with a 4.25 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 7.4 strikeouts per nine innings in 48 2/3 frames (the Nationals monitored his workload) at the Major League level this season. He allowed three earned runs or fewer in eight of his 10 appearances, including three scoreless starts – Aug. 6, 4 1/3 innings vs. the Athletics; Aug. 16, seven innings vs. the Phillies in his first career win; and Sept. 20, five innings at the Mets.
“I think that attacking in the zone, not having noncompetitive misses so much,” Cavalli said of his improvements. “I think that's been a mentality thing, not being so fine and trying to strike out a ton of hitters. I know my strikeout numbers were low, but it was able to help me get deep into games and help our bullpen out when I could. I think that was an area that I really improved on.”
Cavalli worked a pitch mix that was 31.2% four-seamer, 30.5% knuckle curve, 18.3% sinker, 13.6% changeup, 6.3% cutter and 0.1% slider. His 97 mph average fastball velocity ranked in the 88th percentile.
“I'm excited to go clean up this arsenal that I've been learning with this year,” Cavalli said. “... [I’m] ready to go organize it, refine it, make it better, and hopefully get better and help the club next year.”
Cavalli will have familiarity as he enters 2026. He wasted no time learning how to battle against his division rivals – all of his wins came against National League East opponents. Facing the Phillies (twice), Marlins (twice) and Mets, he went 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA and 19 strikeouts across 28 innings. The Nationals went 5-0 in those games.
“I feel like I got a lot better this season,” Cavalli said. “It was really good to get my feet wet up here.”