Cade Cavalli Selected by Nationals in First Round of MLB Draft

Right-hander emerged as unquestioned ace of Sooner staff in abbreviated 2020 season

Leading up to the abbreviated 2020 MLB draft, rumor had it that the Cincinnati Reds would take Cade Cavalli with the 12th overall pick.

Some whispers indicated that the Texas Rangers would pick him with the 14th selection.

But in the end, it was the defending World Series champion Washington Nationals who landed Cavalli, as they snagged the Sooners' power right-hander 22nd overall.

Cavalli, a native of Bixby, shined on the hill in a truncated 2020 campaign for the Sooners. He struck out 37 hitters in 23.1 innings, with his best performance coming on February 21 against Illinois State. In the win, Cavalli fired seven innings of one-run ball and struck out nine.

Previously, Cavalli made appearances as both a pitcher and a position player for Oklahoma. As a freshman in 2018, he notched six homers and 28 RBI across nearly 200 at-bats while logging 17.1 innings on the mound. Come 2019, he moved into the rotation and picked up 60.1 innings, going 5-3 with a 3.28 ERA and 59 K's. He only saw 84 plate appearances as a sophomore, but still hit .319 with five doubles, two triples, four homers and 17 RBI. Over the summer of 2019, he competed for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.

Before his career in crimson, Cavalli played four years of varsity baseball at Bixby High, setting program records for single-season doubles and extra-base hits. The Atlanta Braves selected him in the 29th round of the 2017 draft, but Cavalli chose not to sign.

Earlier in the first round, Sooner signee Ed Howard went 16th overall to his hometown Chicago Cubs. With a seven-figure professional contract on the table, it now seems unlikely that the elite high school shortstop will enroll at Oklahoma.

Looking ahead to Day 2 of the draft, Sooners star left-hander Levi Prater could also come off the board. Should he and Cavalli both choose to go pro, Oklahoma would enter 2021 with Dane Acker and Ben Abram presumably atop the rotation.

To get the latest OU posts as they happen, join the SI Sooners Community by clicking “Follow” at the top right corner of the page (mobile users can click the notifications bell icon), and follow SI Sooners on Twitter @All_Sooners.