n=179 near this checkpoint
Why he matters right now
Cade Cavalli is top-10 in the majors in strikeouts
He is 7th in strikeouts at 185 — 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.
The story changed tonight — this page led with a different case yesterday.
The case in 30 seconds
- 185 7th in strikeouts at 185 on MLB's season leaderboards MLB season leaderboard (the league's own top-10 board of qualified players, not this site's roster)
- 3.12 ERA over 159 innings, with 185 strikeouts, 30 starts and a 1.18 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 Los Angeles Dodgers. 15 more to reach 200 SO.
Every claim above, with its source (2)
- 7th in strikeouts at 185 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 159 innings, with 185 strikeouts, 30 starts and a 1.18 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 changed last night
8 K in 6.0 IP
L 5-6 vs Los Angeles Dodgers · 2026-09-05
What to watch next
at Los Angeles Dodgers
UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium · 10:10 p.m. ET
Opposite Justin Wrobleski
Situational splits
| Split | IP | ERA | SO | WHIP | AVG against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs RHP | 64.2 | — | 78 | 1.13 | .220 |
| vs LHP | 93.0 | — | 107 | 1.23 | .246 |
| Home | 85.1 | 3.27 | 99 | 1.21 | .241 |
| Away | 73.1 | 2.95 | 86 | 1.15 | .229 |
| Day | 82.2 | 3.16 | 89 | 1.19 | .244 |
| Night | 76.0 | 3.08 | 96 | 1.17 | .226 |
2026 season, MLB Stats API. A split with no plate appearances is omitted rather than shown as zeroes.
30G
30GS
158.2IP
12-5W-L
3.12ERA
1.18WHIP
185K
10.49K/9
0SV
Strikeout chase
| Chase | Current | Pace | Needed from here | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 K | 185 | 208 | 15 K · 3.9 per outing over 3.8 left | ON PACE |
| 250 K | 185 | 208 | 65 K · 17.1 per outing over 3.8 left | EXTREME |
| 300 K | 185 | 208 | 115 K · 30.3 per outing over 3.8 left | IMPOSSIBLE |
| 350 K | 185 | 208 | 165 K · 43.4 per outing over 3.8 left | IMPOSSIBLE |
| 383 K | 185 | 208 | 198 K · 52.1 per outing over 3.8 left | IMPOSSIBLE |
ERA & WHIP finish lines
| Finish | Current | Required rest-of-season | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-2.00 ERA | 3.12 | -6.96 over about 20 innings | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-1.75 ERA | 3.12 | -9.21 over about 20 innings | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-1.50 ERA | 3.12 | -11.46 over about 20 innings | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-1.00 WHIP | 1.18 | -0.43 | IMPOSSIBLE |
| Sub-0.90 WHIP | 1.18 | -1.33 | IMPOSSIBLE |
Recent game log
Derived nightly from the snapshot ledger — each row is the difference between consecutive days; multi-day rows are labeled.
| Date | Opp | Result | IP | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-05 | Los Angeles Dodgers | L 5-6 | 6.0 | 8 |
Recent highlights
▶︎
Cade Cavalli sets down eight vs. Dodgers 2026-09-05 · Cade Cavalli struck out 8 over 6.0 IP
▶︎
Cade Cavalli strikes out eight vs. Marlins2026-08-29 · Cade Cavalli struck out 8 over 4.0 IP
▶︎
Cade Cavalli shines, fans 11 vs. Rangers2026-08-19 · Cade Cavalli went 6.0 scoreless with 11 strikeouts — a season high
Lahman + Retrosheet context
How this season fits history
Chase history
Stuff watch
Four-seamer velocity, start by start
Every start's average against his own trailing baseline of 96.9 ± 0.67 mph. Ringed dots sit more than one standard deviation under the baseline; last start 97.65 mph (2026-09-05).
No active signals — inside one standard deviation of his own baseline. A trend report, not a diagnosis.