Washington Nationals right-handed starting pitcher Cade Cavalli has been a notable bright spot helping to anchor the starting rotation. Across the last three months he has emerged as an ace, allowing three earned runs or less in 26 of his 28 starts this season. 

The 28-year-old is boasting a 12-5 record with a 3.21 ERA with 169 strikeouts across 148.2 innings pitched. In his last seven games has been dominant with a 6-1 record and a 1.84 ERA with 50 punchouts. 

In the Nationals 13-3 smackdown over the Colorado Rockies on Monday, he fanned seven batters across six innings, giving up two earned runs on five hits while picking up his 12th win of the season.

He's been a pleasant surprise, demonstrating his ability to induce weak contact by generating a dominant 49.5% ground ball rate that sits in the 84th percentile. 

Cade Cavalli's 2026 breakout campaign with the Nationals will be one to remember

Part of Cavalli's recipe for success this season has derived from adding a cutter to his arsenal back in June, which has been a hybrid pitch between his fastball and breaking pitches. He has looked like the Nationals first true ace since Max Scherzer. 

On May 21, he threw a backdoor sweeper against Juan Soto that caught him looking. This pitch has helped develop his poise on the mound while holding opponents to a .105 batting average with a 33.1 % whiff rate. 

He has the potential to possibly be a top 20 starting pitcher, a welcome development for the Nats.