Well, it's official. The Nationals have selected the contract of RHP Cade Cavalli from Triple-A Rochester.

Cavalli, 24, is the top pitching prospect in Washington’s Minor League system and the №52 prospect in all of baseball according to Baseball America and №58 according to MLBPipeline.com. He leads qualified Nationals Minor Leaguers with a .215 opponents’ batting average and ranks second in ERA (3.71), strikeouts (104), and WHIP (1.18). He went 6–4 with a 3.71 ERA in 20 starts for Triple-A Rochester this season.

In his last seven starts, Cavalli went 3–1 with a 1.47 ERA (6 ER/36.2 IP), 43 strikeouts, 12 walks, and a .180 opponent batting average. He did not allow an earned run in 15.2 consecutive innings with 16 strikeouts and three walks in three starts from July 6 to June 27. In his last two starts before being called up, Cavalli struck out 19 batters against just five walks with a 1.50 ERA (2 ER/12.0 IP) and a .128 opponents’ batting average (5-for-39).

In his first full professional season in 2021, Cavalli was named Washington’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year after leading all of Minor League Baseball with 175 strikeouts and all full-season Nationals Minor Leaguers with a 3.36 ERA. He allowed just five home runs, and his 0.36 home runs per 9.0 innings led all of Minor League Baseball (full-season). He went 7–9 with a 3.36 ERA in 24 games between High-A Wilmington, Double-A Harrisburg, and Triple-A Rochester.

With his start on Friday night, Cavalli will become the 24th pitcher drafted/signed and developed by the Nationals (2005-pres.) to start a game for Washington.

Washington selected Cavalli in the first round (№22 overall) of the 2020 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Oklahoma. He will be the seventh player (fifth first-round pick) from the 2020 Draft to make his Major League debut.

Additionally, infielder Luis García was Returned from rehabilitation assignment and reinstated and optioned right-handed pitcher Cory Abbott to Triple-A Rochester (on Wednesday). Lastly, the Nationals unconditionally released the third baseman, Maikel Franco.

Welcome, Cade Cavalli to the Washington Nationals!