Boston Red Sox prospect Niko Kavadas talks expectations and Notre Dame
The Boston Red Sox selected Niko Kavadas in the 11th round of the 2021 MLB Draft. In 2022, the left-handed hitting first baseman introduced himself in a big way. He mashed his way through Single-A and High-A, making it up to Double-A before the end of the year.
Kavadas had a .280/.443/.547 slash line with 26 home runs and 102 walks between the three levels. The hype was high.
However, 2023 wasn't perfect. Kavadas hit just .206 between Double-A and Triple-A. He also had 172 strikeouts in 480 plate appearances (35.8 strikeout percentage).
There were positives, too, though. Kavadas drew 98 walks and still hit 22 home runs. However, fans didn't seem to feel the magic anymore.
He was blocked at his position. Triston Casas had a great rookie season in 2023. Blaze Jordan crushed it in Double-A. Meanwhile, the entire system was so loaded that fans were obsessing over a lot of players.
That led to Kavadas entering 2024 without many expectations. Take a minute and make up some big expectations in your head, though. I promise the Golden Domer is destroying those imaginary expectations like a hanging slider.
After Saturday's game, Kavadas is slashing .294/.432/.580 with 19 doubles and 17 home runs. He's driven in 62 runs and scored 53 more. Kavadas has been a legitimate terror in Worcester's lineup all year. Despite many "expecting" him to fall off at some point, it just isn't happening.
We caught up with Niko Kavadas to talk about those expectations and his massive 2024 season.
Q: What's been the biggest adjustment or improvement you've made this season?
"I'm trying to tone down my effort level and stay through the middle of the field. I think at times last year, I was trying to swing too hard, and I was trying to hit the ball to the pull side too often. Just trying to stay through the middle of the field and take a controlled swing instead of a violent one has allowed me to make more contact."
Q: Especially with the injuries and situations in the Majors this year, how much has the thought of a promotion been in the back of your head?
"That's not really something that you can concern yourself with. If you do, you're going to get caught up in what's going out there and not what's going on between the lines. So, I try to keep my head between the lines and control what I can control."
Q: It doesn't seem like you're much of a social media person. But do you ever see what's being said? Is it hard to block out negative and positive comments and focus on your game?
"Yeah, I'm not on there a whole lot. It's hard enough to stay in contact with my family and my friends. I think that would just be another distraction that would take away from everything. You're away from those people for so long. When I'm away from the field, that's how I spend my time [catching up with family and friends]. I don't think social media is very good for me."
Q: What is the most overlooked or underrated part of your game, in your opinion?
"I'm not sure. I think I move better than people think I do. (I bring up a play earlier in the game where Kavadas dove to the ground on a nice double-play attempt). Oh yeah, I'll hit the ground quick. A lot of gravity there.
It's not necessarily a 20-bag thing, but going first to home or first to third I'm very comfortable.
Q: You're from South Bend, Indiana. Was Notre Dame always the dream?
"Absolutely, yeah. Growing up, I absolutely loved Notre Dame. I would spend my Sundays in the fall out there tailgating with my family. We'd go to baseball games in the Spring and watch guys like Jeff Samardzija and Aaron Heilman pitch. It was so much fun.
I wanted to go to Stanford for a while because it was like Notre Dame, but it wasn't cold as hell. But I couldn't make that happen, so Notre Dame was absolutely the right move."
Q: What was your favorite thing about Notre Dame?
"The history behind Notre Dame is so cool. How it came to be, and what it means to be a Domer. I think the alumni take really good care of the students and the graduates there. They say it's a 40-year degree, not a four-year degree, and I think that's awesome."
Q: What were your expectations for 2024? How do you feel about those expectations so far?
"I expected to come in and play my style of baseball. I didn't know if that was going to be what it has been so far or what that was going to look like. But I knew that I needed to get back to my roots and do what makes me a successful hitter, and I think that I've done a good job of controlling that so far.
Q: Portland Teals or Greenville Black Spinners?
"I like the Portland teals. I really like the Portland teals. They're [Greenville] itchy."
Q: No baseball activities allowed. What are you doing on an off day?
"Ooh, go play some golf. Yeah, probably play some golf. Spend some time lying down if it's in the middle of the season, just to get off my feet."
Follow Hunter on Twitter @Hunter_Noll.
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