Cade Cavalli has turned the past two weeks into one of the most dominant stretches of his young career, putting the Washington Nationals right-hander in rare franchise territory.
Cavalli followed an eight-inning, 10-strikeout shutout against the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 13 with another scoreless performance Wednesday against the Texas Rangers. He struck out 11 over six innings in Washington’s 6-0 victory, allowing three hits and one walk while retiring the final 11 batters he faced.
The Nationals highlighted the accomplishment on their official X account, underscoring just how unusual Cavalli’s recent run has become. His last two starts have produced 21 strikeouts without allowing a run, while his scoreless streak has reached 17 innings.
That stretch also puts Cavalli alongside some of the best pitchers in Nationals history. He became only the fourth pitcher in Montreal/Washington franchise history to make consecutive starts with at least six scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts. Max Scherzer was the most recent pitcher to accomplish the feat, doing so in June 2015.
Cavalli’s recent form has also dramatically strengthened his overall 2026 campaign. He is now 11-5 with a 3.22 ERA, 162 strikeouts and a 1.22 WHIP across 142.2 innings, according to ESPN. He has won seven of his last 10 starts and has become one of the most dependable pieces in Washington’s rotation.
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The development is particularly notable given Cavalli’s difficult road back to full-time major league pitching. He missed the 2023 and 2024 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery before returning to the Nationals’ rotation and establishing himself as a key part of their future.
Now, the right-hander is producing the kind of performances Washington hoped to see when it selected him in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft. His latest run gives the Nationals something even more valuable than a hot stretch: a potential frontline starter around whom they can build their next contender.
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