Los Angeles Angels first baseman Niko Kavadas went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run to provide the only offense for his team in Thursday's loss versus the Toronto Blue Jays. The rookie, who recently made his big-league debut collected his first big-league hit when he hit the home run in the top of the ninth inning. Kavadas came over at the trade deadline from the Boston Red Sox and has been playing regularly since his debut on August 18. He is only 1-for-15 thus far, but the at-bats are there for the 25-year-old that hit .264 with 19 homers in Triple-A this season. Despite his opportunity, he will need to hit more for fantasy managers to trust him moving forward.
Los Angeles Angels first baseman Niko Kavadas will be making his MLB debut against the Atlanta Braves on Friday. The 25-year-old put together fairly strong numbers during his time in Triple-A. He was slashing .264/.400/.521 with 19 home runs and 67 RBI in the minors before getting called up. Kavadas figures to get regular playing time on the Halos roster down the stretch of the season. He'll bat cleanup and serve as the designated hitter versus right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach on Friday. Kavadas might have some deep league value but is probably better left on the waiver wire in most redraft formats.
Niko Kavadas Tallies Season-High Seven RBI On Friday
Boston Red Sox first base prospect Niko Kavadas went 3-for-5 with a home run and a season-high seven RBI on Friday evening. This extended his current hitting streak to three games and now Kavadas has only gone hitless in one game this month. Through 74 games this season at Triple-A Worcester, the former 11th-round selection has performed very well with a .286/.429/.547 line, 15 home runs and 59 RBI. This is a stark contrast to his production at Triple-A last season, where he posted a poor .209/.364/.426 line. The Notre Dame product should see time in the major leagues later this summer and could be worth adding in deeper leagues when he receives the call as he has progressed quite well this season.
Boston Red Sox first base prospect Niko Kavadas has been putting together a good season for Triple-A Worcester. The 25-year-old finished the 2023 season with Worcester and struggled, but he has been a changed hitter in his second turn with the club. Kavadas is currently hitting .280 with 10 homers and 30 RBI to go along with an impressive 1.031 OPS. Kavadas isn't as highly touted and some of the other Red Sox prospects, but he has consistently hit 20 or more homers in his professional career and continues to fly under the radar. The Red Sox have gotten little production from Garrett Cooper and Dominic Smith at first base, but Triston Casas (rib) is starting to resume baseball activities and will be firmly entrenched at first base when healthy. Kavadas will likely get an opportunity to play in the big leagues this season, but can be ignored for now.