Angels Top Prospect is Dominating in Arizona Fall League

Maren Angus-Coombs | Oct 29, 2024

Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

It doesn't happen often, but sometimes the Arizona Fall League features a player who has already hit his first career major league home run. It's even more rare for a player to return two years later.

This is the case for Los Angeles Angels prospect Niko Kavadas, who returns to the desert this year following a whirlwind summer, which included a trade deadline move and a series of career firsts soon after.

The deadline brings upheaval not only for major leaguers traded to boost their team’s chances in a pennant race, but also for prospects sent in the opposite direction. For Kavadas, Boston was home since he’d been picked in the 11th round of the 2021 Draft.

However, when the Red Sox acquired reliever Luis García, the power-hitting first baseman became part of a four-player return package.

“I flew from Worcester, Mass., to Tacoma, Wash., and met the Triple-A team, and I was there two and half weeks and I had finally started to get a vibe of what the organization was about, what the team was about,” Kavadas said. “And the next thing you know, I was in the big leagues and meeting a whole new group of guys and, you know, it's been an absolute roller coaster.

“To come down here and meet some of the prospects and … all of the guys that we have that are down here, it's a unique experience and I'm happy to get to know them.”

The last time Kavadas was in Arizona, he had wrapped up an impressive 2022 season dominating the lower levels of the Red Sox organization. After a 120-game run that led him to Double-A, he aimed to solidify his place as a future major league prospect. That goal became a reality on Aug. 16, 2024 — but this time, as a member of the Angels.

But, he wanted a chance to improve his .616 OPS and a 38.7 percent strikeout rate which is where the AFL comes into play.

“They said, ‘Hey, we have a roster spot open. Would you be interested in taking it?’ You know, my body's in a great position. My mind's in a great position,” Kavadas said. “I'm excited to take advantage of this opportunity.”

So far, he has three homers in 10 games, and finished a recent contest with a .333 average and a 1.200 OPS. He's also getting some outfield playing time which he hasn't played since 2019 in the Northwoods League.

“It's been awesome, man,” Kavadas said. “I really enjoy it out there. It's fun learning a new position and it's a good way to lock in during the game. You're on pins and needles because it's something you haven't done. You're really locked in, and I've had a lot of fun learning to play left field again.”