Niko Kavadas had just lately been named Boston’s Minor League Participant of the Yr when he was first featured right here at FanGraphs in November 2022. Two years later, he’s now taking part in for the Los Angeles Angels, after the Purple Sox traded him at this summer season’s deadline as a part of a five-player swap. Energy and persistence are his calling playing cards. Kavadas was slashing .281/.424/.551 with 17 dwelling runs in Triple-A on the time he was dealt, and whereas he subsequently struggled after receiving his first call-up — a 77 wRC+ and 38.7% strikeout charge over 106 plate appearances — he did go deep 4 occasions.
The 26-year-old first baseman very a lot stays a piece in progress, as evidenced by his having spent the final month-plus taking part in within the Arizona Fall League. And whereas assessing progress in an excessive hitter-friendly atmosphere will be tough, he nonetheless crushed the ball throughout his time within the desert. Kavadas was named the AFL’s Offensive Participant of the Yr after slashing .329/.462/.700 with 13 extra-base hits, together with six dwelling runs, over 91 plate appearances. We’ll get to why he was there in a second.
After I caught as much as Kavadas previous to a Fall League recreation in October, the very first thing I needed to know was how the present-day iteration compares to the hitter I’d spoken to 25 months earlier.
“At my core, I believe I’ll all the time be the identical man,” Kavadas stated. “Since then, I’ve tried to seize a few of the low-hanging fruit and deal with a few of the swing-and-miss points. I’ve additionally tried to get on prime of the ball somewhat extra, which is one thing I’ve achieved a greater job of. However I’m all the time going to be a stocky, left-handed man who desires to hit the ball arduous, desires to hit the ball within the air, desires to swing at strikes, draw walks, and do injury when the ball is over the center [of the plate].”
There isn’t any disputing his means to do injury. Kavadas has light-tower energy, which comes courtesy of a 6-foot-1, 230-pound body. (His weight has ranged from 220 to 250 throughout his time in professional ball.) Given his measurement and energy, he doesn’t have to take an particularly wholesome hack with a view to juice a baseball.
“That’s a giant a part of it, understanding that I don’t have to max out how arduous I’m swinging the bat,” Kavadas stated of the continued efforts to enhance his contact charge. “For me, it’s extra in regards to the quantity of occasions I could make contact.”
Chasing hasn’t been the problem. Kavadas swung at simply 18.3% of pitches out of the strike zone after his call-up, a quantity roughly in keeping with what he’d achieved down on the farm. He’s all the time been one to attract his walks; an Eleventh-round decide in 2021 out of Notre Dame, Kavadas had a .415 OBP in faculty and a .410 OBP within the minors. Quite, certainly one of Kavadas’ largest issues has been leaving the bat on his shoulder when pitches are within the strike zone. His Z-swing% was 57.7%, one of many lowest charges within the majors. Within the minors, the proportion had been decrease nonetheless.
“I don’t swing at too many balls; I take too many strikes,” Kavadas stated. “That’s one of many causes I’m right here [in the Arizona Fall League]. I’m out right here attempting to get my swing off on 1-0 breaking balls, 2-1 breaking balls, and never simply taking them. Simply because I’m in a leverage rely doesn’t imply that I can’t swing at spin. In years previous, I’ve taken these — even when it’s not good spin — and let pitchers get again into the rely. So swinging at extra strikes is a aim. If my chase charge ticks up somewhat bit, I’m okay with that. The worth of a swing outweighs the worth of a take.”
Which brings us again to his not needing to swing arduous with a view to pulverize baseballs. The Purple Sox revamped their hitting growth program this previous season, with growing bat pace a degree of emphasis. As Kavadis put it, “They positively needed to push guys to swing the bat quicker. I believe that was their no. 1 precedence.”
It was something however a precedence for Kavadas. Whereas he did sometimes do a few of the bat-speed coaching, his aim was to make extra contact, and he didn’t really feel that elevated bat pace would assist him achieve this. “What I would like is much less intent, not attempting to swing the bat quicker,” he reiterated. “Once more, with my energy I don’t have to.”
Moonshots are the South Bend, Indiana native’s M.O., and I’ve seen a few of them firsthand. One which he hit excessive over the right-field foul pole in Double-A Portland two summers in the past — it was truly dominated foul — was particularly majestic. Reminded of the blast in our current dialog, Kavadas insisted that it had been truthful, which it very properly may need been. If reminiscence serves appropriate, the space talked about within the Hadlock Discipline press field that evening was 440-something ft.
As for the facility he displayed upon arriving in Anaheim, Statcast numbers assist inform the story. One of many 4 dwelling runs he hit had an exit velocity of 107.9 mph and traveled 404 ft, whereas one other registered at 103.8 mph and 408 ft.
Not that he’s all that involved in regards to the readings and distances.
“How far they go and the way arduous they’re hit isn’t essential to me,” claimed Kavadas. “How usually they ask ‘How arduous?’ or ‘How far?’ is uncommon. What they ask is, ‘What number of?’”
For sure, growing the quantity of contact he makes would solely enhance his “What number of.” Furthermore, it will significantly enhance his possibilities of sticking within the large leagues. Missing the defensive abilities of a Joey Gallo, Kavadas realistically can’t afford to proceed hanging out at such a excessive charge (32.5% as knowledgeable) if he hopes to have success at baseball’s highest stage. As he’s properly conscious, the diploma to which his bat-to-ball abilities will be improved will go a good distance towards figuring out his future.
