Cincinnati Reds draft profile: Right-handed pitcher Cade Cavalli

The MLB Draft is a few short weeks away. Let’s take a peek at one of the players sure to be on the Cincinnati Reds radar; pitcher Cade Cavalli.

As we take a peek at some of the top draft-eligible players likely available when the Cincinnati Reds select at No. 12, we come to one of the top college pitchers. Cade Cavalli has what a lot of scouts call “easy gas”. Cavalli was two-year player during his first two seasons at the University of Oklahoma, but focused exclusively on pitching last season.

For those looking for Cade Cavalli to be an eventual replacement for Joey Votto, think again. Yes, the right-hander does have experience as a first baseman, but his upside on the mound is too good to tinker with Cavalli as an infielder. Though, we’ve seen David Bell use Michael Lorenzen in a dual role, so who knows what the future may hold for Cavalli.

Cavalli was originally taken in the 29th round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves, but chose not to sign and took his talents to Norman, Oklahoma. Cavalli has a wide range in terms of evaluation, as Keith Law of The Athletic ranks the right-hander as the ninth-best prospect in the draft, while MLB.com ranks Cavalli No. 22.

Cade Cavalli’s fastball is his bread and butter. Both The Athletic and MLB.com speak of his effortless delivery. Cavalli can keep his fastball consistently between 92-96 MPH and run it up to 98-MPH when needed. That, combined with a plus-curveball and increasingly improving slider have some thinking that Cavalli has the potential to be a future ace.

There are injury concerns, as Cavalli missed most of his senior season in high school with a back injury. The Bixby, Oklahoma native also missed a few games last season with a stress reaction in his arm. Injury concerns could cause Cavalli to fall on June 10th.

Cavalli’s upside may be enough to push Dick Williams and Nick Krall to pull the trigger if the right-hander is available when the Reds are on the clock at No. 12. Cade Cavalli, much like Nick Lodolo, would be accelerated through Cincinnati’s farm system because of his advanced approach. The 2020 MLB Draft is almost two weeks away.