n=296 near this checkpoint
Why he matters right now
Cade Cavalli is top-10 in the majors in strikeouts
He is 9th in strikeouts at 162 — placements on MLB's own season boards, which rank every QUALIFIED pitcher in the sport rather than the few dozen this site tracks. Qualified is MLB's own bar, and it is the reason a part-season player with a big number is not on these boards at all.
New on this page tonight.
The case in 30 seconds
- 162 9th in strikeouts at 162 on MLB's season leaderboards MLB season leaderboard (the league's own top-10 board of qualified players, not this site's roster)
- 3.22 ERA over 143 innings, with 162 strikeouts, 27 starts and a 1.22 WHIP snapshot pitching board — the union of MLB's top-10 pitching boards, then MLB's 1.0 IP per team game rule applied; not the league's full qualified pool
The honest caveat
A top-ten finish is a position on a board, not a verdict on a player. The men just below him on it are not meaningfully worse, and one good week moves several places.
What to watch next
Next up: at Texas Rangers. 38 more to reach 200 SO.
Every claim above, with its source (2)
- 9th in strikeouts at 162 on MLB's season leaderboards MLB season leaderboard (the league's own top-10 board of qualified players, not this site's roster)
- ERA over 143 innings, with 162 strikeouts, 27 starts and a 1.22 WHIP snapshot pitching board — the union of MLB's top-10 pitching boards, then MLB's 1.0 IP per team game rule applied; not the league's full qualified pool
The evidence
What to watch next
at Texas Rangers
Globe Life Field · 8:05 p.m. ET
Opposite Jacob deGrom
Situational splits
| Split | IP | ERA | SO | WHIP | AVG against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs RHP | 59.1 | — | 70 | 1.15 | .222 |
| vs LHP | 82.1 | — | 92 | 1.29 | .259 |
| Home | 75.1 | 3.46 | 84 | 1.25 | .253 |
| Away | 67.1 | 2.94 | 78 | 1.19 | .233 |
| Day | 78.2 | 3.32 | 81 | 1.21 | .254 |
| Night | 64.0 | 3.09 | 81 | 1.23 | .231 |
2026 season, MLB Stats API. A split with no plate appearances is omitted rather than shown as zeroes.
27G
27GS
142.2IP
11-5W-L
3.22ERA
1.22WHIP
162K
10.22K/9
0SV
Strikeout chase
| Chase | Current | Pace | Needed from here | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 K | 162 | 205 | 38 K · 1.12 per team game | ON PACE |
| 250 K | 162 | 205 | 88 K · 2.59 per team game | EXTREME |
| 300 K | 162 | 205 | 138 K · 4.06 per team game | EXTREME |
| 350 K | 162 | 205 | 188 K · 5.53 per team game | EXTREME |
| 383 K | 162 | 205 | 221 K · 6.50 per team game | EXTREME |
ERA & WHIP finish lines
| Finish | Current | Required rest-of-season | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-2.00 ERA | 3.22 | -2.58 over ~37.9 IP | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-1.75 ERA | 3.22 | -3.77 over ~37.9 IP | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-1.50 ERA | 3.22 | -4.96 over ~37.9 IP | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-1.00 WHIP | 1.22 | 0.17 | EXTREME |
| Sub-0.90 WHIP | 1.22 | -0.30 | IMPOSSIBLE |
Recent highlights
▶︎
Cade Cavalli shines, fans 11 vs. Rangers2026-08-19 · Cade Cavalli went 6.0 scoreless with 11 strikeouts — a season high
▶︎
Cade Cavalli strikes out 10, flirts with no-hitter2026-08-13 · Cade Cavalli allowed one hit over 8.0 scoreless innings (10 K)
▶︎
Cade Cavalli rings up K's with 98.1 MPH pitches2026-08-13 · Cade Cavalli carried a NO-HITTER into the 7th — broken up by a single
Lahman + Retrosheet context
How this season fits history
Stuff watch
Four-seamer velocity, start by start
Every start's average against his own trailing baseline of 96.8 ± 0.69 mph. Ringed dots sit more than one standard deviation under the baseline; last start 97.05 mph (2026-08-02).
- release drift · ST: 0.47 vs 0.0 ± 0.35 (z 1.35, 4 straight)