Nats' prospect Cavalli jumps 49 spots in Baseball America Top 100 originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Following an 11-strikeout performance Sunday that pushed his minors-leading strikeout total to 56 on the season, Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli was named the 33rd overall prospect by Baseball America in its latest Top 100 update released Monday.
Cavalli jumped 49 spots, a massive leap for a player who didn’t even crack the list before the season began. The 2020 first-round pick has gotten his first taste of professional baseball this year as a member of High-A Wilmington’s rotation and has not disappointed. He owns a 2.14 ERA over six starts with 56 strikeouts and 10 walks over 33 2/3 innings.
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A two-way player at Oklahoma, Cavalli was selected by the Nationals 22nd overall with plans to develop him into a full-time starter. The lack of a minor-league season in 2020 forced the Nationals to send him to their alternate training site in Fredericksburg, Va. He spent several months there facing more experienced hitters than he would’ve in a normal season.
While Cavalli remains the only Nationals prospect on BA’s Top 100, he’s not the only player in their farm system off to a good start. Infielder Luis García, who was named the Triple-A East Player of the Week on Monday, exceeded rookie limits last season and is ineligible for the rankings. He owns an .875 OPS with seven home runs in 23 games so far in 2021.
Down in Fredericksburg, left-hander Mitchell Parker leads all Low-A pitchers with 50 strikeouts this year. He’s posted a 3.29 ERA in six starts for the FredNats.
