SAN DIEGO—Nationals starters had a 5.97 ERA last year, the highest in Major League Baseball.
The club is counting on Cade Cavalli being part of the solution to those woes in 2023.
Cavalli, the Nationals No. 4 prospect, will be part of Washington’s rotation next season, manager Davey Martinez said Monday at the Winter Meetings. The 24-year-old righthander went 6-4, 3.71 at Triple-A Rochester last season and made his major league debut in August before going down with shoulder inflammation after his first start.
“I’ve got him penciled in as a starter for us, and rightfully so,” Martinez said. “I think he’s earned it. Like I said, he checked all the boxes for us last year in Triple-A. He was going to get an opportunity to pitch. Obviously got hurt. We’re looking forward to getting him back.”
The Nationals’ first-round pick out of Oklahoma in 2020, Cavalli led the minors in strikeouts in 2021 and shook off a slow start in 2022 to reach the majors just over two years after being drafted. He surrendered seven hits and six runs in 4.1 innings against the Reds in his big league debut and took the loss, but also showed his premium stuff—a fastball that averaged 96 mph and a power curveball that sat in the mid 80s. He had six strikeouts and generated 13 swings and misses in the outing.
Cavalli’s ability to miss bats is something the Nationals desperately need. Their starters finished with 635 strikeouts last season, 28th in the majors. Of the nine Nationals pitchers who made at least four starts last season, only one —righthander Josiah Gray—averaged more than a strikeout per inning.
“This guy is a competitor,” Martinez said. “He’s young, but I know that he wants the ball. He’s eager. He’s hungry. I’m looking forward to getting him in spring training and seeing what he can do.”
EZEQUIEL TOVAR HAS OPENING DAY CHANCE
Rockies manager Bud Black made a point to go see Ezequiel Tovar in the Arizona Fall League in 2021. His adoration of the young shortstop prospect only increased when Tovar hit .550 with three home runs in big league spring training before last season.
Now, following a breakout season in which Tovar stormed through the upper levels of the minors and made his major league debut, Black said the 21-year-old is “tracking” toward being the Rockies Opening Day shortstop in 2023.
“He showed enough to us in what he did during the course of the year,” Black said. “All our evaluators and player development people think that he…
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