After former Notre Dame Fighting Irish star Niko Kavadas was called up to the bigs in mid-August of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, the former All-American found adjusting to more precise command of pitches delivered to him by big-league arms to be a significant task.
Though his first hit as a Los Angeles Angel was crashed over the outfield wall in Toronto, Kavadas struggled as the team’s designated hitter over the season’s waning months.
When the Boston Red Sox drafted him in the 11th round of the 2021 MLB Draft, he signed for double the slot value at $250,000, because simply put, he is not a traditional power bat. The beauty of the former Notre Dame Fighting Irish star to Major League scouts and front offices lies in his approach.
Ex-Notre Dame Fighting Irish star wants to start on a Major League roster
A sharp knowledge of the strike zone paired with elite power is what made the left-handed hitter such a headliner during his time with the Fighting Irish. As a senior he hit 22 home runs complimented by 64 runs batted in, while showing a reluctance to offer at pitches off the plate. He worked 60 walks in his final campaign, demonstrating a rare patience that allowed him to pounce on strikes in advantageous counts.
😱Niko Kavadas...That ball had a family!😱#RoadToOmaha x 🎥 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/g5cFQl1BPo
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 15, 2021
However, Kavadas found shortly after being called up that big league pitchers were going to come after him early.
Perhaps being overly patient, especially early in counts, contributed to the struggles that led him to a slashline of .183/.283/.616 over 93 at-bats as a rookie. According to FanGraphs, Kavadas’ Z-swing percentage (a metric that weighs the percentage of time a player swings at strikes) was 57.7%, one of the lowest marks among major-league hitters. During counts in which Kavadas fell behind 0-1, he tallied 31 of his 41 total strikeouts as a rookie.
To address the issue, the Los Angeles Angels sent him to the Arizona Fall League. During his time with the Mesa Solar Sox, Kavadas embraced the challenge as a period to develop his approach in the box.
“I take too many strikes,” Kavadas said ahead of what would be his second stint in the AFL. “I am out here trying to get my swing off on 1-0 breaking balls, 2-1 breaking balls, and not just taking them. Just because I am in a leverage count does not mean that I cannot swing. In years past, I have taken and let pitchers get back into the count so swinging at more strikes is a goal. If my chase rate ticks up a little bit, I am okay with that. The value of a swing outweighs the value of a take.”
Venturing for a more aggressive presence at the plate, Kavadas slashed .329/.462/.700 in 20 games with six home runs and an on-base plus slugging (OPS) of 1.162, good enough to earn the league’s Offensive Player of the Year Award.
What a way to wrap up a whirlwind year!
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) November 17, 2024
The @Angels' Niko Kavadas went from being traded to debuting in The Show to being named the AFL Offensive Player of the Year: https://t.co/fr6dNfRhtw pic.twitter.com/kTtdoQ3tU2
“The {Arizona} Fall League is awesome,” Kavadas said. “It is a big group of really, really talented players that all come together to compete, and to be named the Offensive Player of the Year is an absolute honor.”
The 26-year old was more aggressive early in counts, and in particular, counts where he was ahead. In such situations, he registered eight hits in 20 opportunities where an outcome was determined, including three doubles and a home run. Kavadas logged 17 walks, and struck out six times during the season, however, the ladder indicates Kavadas’ progress in establishing a willingness to swing the bat despite the count. He even logged four hits on first pitches.
With spring training just over a month away, his path to the Angels’ opening day roster seems clear: swing the bat. Despite struggling with advanced velocity, which has left him susceptible to low breakers and other secondary pitches when trying to jump heaters early in his career, taking advantage of hitters counts by swinging at good pitches will negate parts of that swing-and-miss.
A hitter that averaged an exit velocity of 91.7 miles per hour in 30 MLB games last season, Kavadas has shown the potential to be a big time, left-handed power bat for a lineup that desperately needs just that.
The Angels possess just three left-handed or switch-hitting bats projected to make the Angels roster to begin the 2025 season: Mickey Moniak, Luis Rengifo, Nolan Schanuel. Kavadas, and fellow infielder Ryan Noda are expected to compete for a big league spot over the course of late-February into March.
Angels general manager, Perry Minasian, has been transparent in expressing power as a pertinent area for the team to address immediately, presenting Kavadas an opportunity to establish himself as a player of the present and future for Los Angeles.
Not labeled particularly as a good defensive option, Kavadas’ versatility and experience playing different positions on the field add stock to his case for opening day. On top of DH-ing, he made starts at outfield spots during his time in the AFL, while sharing time at first base with Schanuel in 2024. Though the former first-round draft pick has the position shored up, Kavadas’ value only expands with that experience.
Kavadas is one solid spring training campaign from sticking with the ball club, and his recipe has three components: 1. get in good counts. 2. see the ball in the zone. and 3. let it eat. Here's hoping the former Notre Dame Fighting Irish star can make the roster out of Spring Training.