Niko Kavadas power surge continues while leading the league with a 1.180 OPS
Niko Kavadas continues to impress at the plate for the WooSox, crushing his ninth home run of the season during Saturday’s 4-1 win over the Buffalo Bisons.
Kavadas’ ninth long ball came in the fifth inning off Beau Sulser and finished the day 3-for-4, marking his second three-hit game of the season. The Notre Dame alum’s homer soared 423 feet to right center, clearing Worcester’s bullpen.
The left-handed slugger owns a league-best 1.180 OPS and will take an eight-game hitting streak into the WooSox’ series finale at Buffalo.
Kavadas’ power surge has been on full display of late, with four of his nine homers coming in the last six games.
The South Bend native is hitting .319 with nine doubles, nine homers, 23 RBI, 21 walks, 26 runs, and 32 strikeouts in 118 plate appearances. His walk numbers are strong with a 17.8 BB% but his 27.1% strikeout rate is still on the higher side.
Kavada's power is impressive, and his advanced statistics at the plate are eye-popping. He's posted a .392 BABIP and a 197 wRC+; it’s not enough yet to earn the 25-year-old a promotion to the Red Sox. He’s mashed right-handed pitching this season, hitting .343 in 67 at-bats and having a .806 slugging percentage. His sample size against left-handed pitching is smaller, hitting .250 in 24 at-bats.
Boston has been platooning Garrett Cooper and Dominic Smith at first base, and both are hitting under .200, albeit in a small sample size; Cooper has had just 23 at-bats and Smith 24. If the Red Sox are going to consider Kavadas down the road, ultimately he'll need to continue showing he can hit Triple-A pitching at a consistent clip and limit his strikeouts.
