Niko Kavadas Bio
Nikolos Siade Kavadas (born October 27, 1998) is an American professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter who is part of the Los Angeles Angels organization. Known publicly as Niko Kavadas, he built his reputation as a power-hitting prospect during four seasons at the University of Notre Dame before being selected in the 2021 Major League Baseball draft by the Boston Red Sox. After working his way through several minor league levels, he reached the major leagues with the Angels in 2024.
Early Life and Background
Nikolos Siade Kavadas grew up in Granger, Indiana, where he developed his early love for baseball. He attended Penn High School, where he quickly emerged as one of the most productive hitters in the area. As a junior, he was named first team All-Northern Indiana Conference and Class 4-A All-State after posting a .440 batting average with three home runs, 14 doubles, and 44 RBIs.
Those results drew statewide attention and helped establish Kavadas as a serious college prospect coming out of high school. His family roots in northern Indiana and his years at Penn laid the groundwork for the disciplined approach he would later show at the plate in higher levels of competition.
Path to Baseball
Kavadas played college baseball at Notre Dame for four seasons, giving him a long runway to develop against strong pitching in the Atlantic Coast Conference. After his freshman season, he played in the Northwoods League for the Kalamazoo Growlers, where he compiled a .308 average and gained valuable experience in summer wood-bat baseball.
Following his sophomore season in 2019, Kavadas suited up for the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League. He was named a league all-star and tied for the league lead with nine home runs in 40 games, a performance that confirmed his power profile against elite amateur competition. His junior year at Notre Dame was cut short after 13 games by the coronavirus pandemic, but he returned with a strong senior season in which he set a school record with 22 home runs and added 64 RBIs while batting .302, earning first team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors and first team All-American recognition from Baseball America. He finished his collegiate career with 46 home runs and 146 RBIs across 161 games.
Niko Kavadas Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
Kavadas was selected in the 11th round, with the 316th overall pick, of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft by the Boston Red Sox. He signed with the team on August 1, 2021, and received a $250,000 bonus before being assigned to the rookie-level Florida Complex League Red Sox. He finished the year at Low-A Salem, batting .256 with two home runs and six RBIs across 15 combined games.
In 2022, Kavadas moved aggressively through the system, playing for Salem, the High-A Greenville Drive, and the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs. He posted a .280/.443/.547 slash line in 393 at-bats and finished second in all of minor league baseball with 102 walks. The Red Sox recognized his production by naming him their minor-league Offensive Player of the Year, and he was later selected to appear in the Arizona Fall League.
Boston Red Sox System and Trade (2023–2024)
Kavadas split the 2023 season between Double-A Portland and the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, combining to hit .206 with 22 home runs and 69 RBIs. He returned to Worcester to open the 2024 season and hit .281 with 17 home runs and 63 RBIs in 83 games, keeping himself squarely on the major league radar.
On July 30, 2024, Boston traded Kavadas, Matthew Lugo, Yeferson Vargas, and Ryan Zeferjahn to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for Luis García, giving him a new organization and a clearer path to the big leagues. After appearing in 11 games for the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees, he was selected to the Angels 40-man roster and made his major league debut on August 16, 2024. He recorded his first hit on August 24, smashing a three-run home run to the opposite field in the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays. In 30 appearances during his rookie campaign, he slashed .183/.283/.333 with four home runs, eight RBIs, and one stolen base.
Los Angeles Angels Era (2024–Present)
Kavadas began the 2025 season at Triple-A Salt Lake before returning to the major league roster with the Angels. On August 27, 2025, he made a memorable mound appearance during a blowout loss to the Texas Rangers, pitching one and two-thirds scoreless innings of relief and recording his first career strikeout against outfielder Joc Pederson. In 10 appearances as a position player for Los Angeles that year, he went 2-for-20 with three walks.
On September 12, 2025, the Angels designated Kavadas for assignment. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Salt Lake on September 14, 2025, where he remained in the organization. His combination of patience at the plate, opposite-field power, and positional flexibility at first base and designated hitter continues to define his profile within the Angels system.
Driving Style and Strengths
Across every level, Kavadas has built his game around plate discipline and power. His walk totals in the minors, his school-record 22 home runs at Notre Dame, and his opposite-field three-run shot in his first major league hit all point to a hitter who works deep counts and drives the ball the other way. He has also shown the willingness to contribute defensively at first base and on the mound when his team needs him.
Notable Events and Milestones
Kavadas reached the major leagues on August 16, 2024, after a rapid rise through the Red Sox and Angels farm systems. His first career home run came on August 24, 2024, against the Toronto Blue Jays, and his first career strikeout as a pitcher came against Joc Pederson of the Texas Rangers on August 27, 2025. The 2021 draft selection, the 2022 Red Sox minor-league Offensive Player of the Year award, and the All-American honor at Notre Dame round out his list of milestones.
Niko Kavadas Career Wins
Kavadas has notched consistent production as a run producer and on-base presence throughout his professional career, even as his major league opportunities have been limited. His biggest win totals have come in the minor leagues, where his power and walks have translated into steady production for every organization he has played for.
Minor League Highlights
In his first full season in 2022, Kavadas combined for 25 home runs across Salem, Greenville, and Portland while drawing 102 walks. Across 83 games with Triple-A Worcester in 2024, he hit 17 home runs and drove in 63 runs before being traded to the Angels. At the major league level, his four home runs and eight RBIs as a rookie in 2024 remain his most established totals.
Other Performances
Kavadas also produced in elite summer leagues, including a nine-home-run, all-star season in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Harwich Mariners in 2019 and a .308 average with the Kalamazoo Growlers of the Northwoods League. He finished his Notre Dame career ranked among the school’s all-time leaders with 46 home runs and 146 RBIs over 161 games.
Niko Kavadas Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Publicly available information about Niko Kavadas’s family background is limited. He grew up in Granger, Indiana, and attended Penn High School, where his family supported his baseball development throughout his teenage years.
Personal Life
Kavadas has kept his personal life largely private, and few additional public details about relationships or family beyond his upbringing in Indiana have been confirmed in available sources.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was a transitional year for Kavadas within the Angels organization. He opened the year at Triple-A Salt Lake and earned a brief return to the major league roster in August, appearing in 10 games and going 2-for-20 with three walks while continuing to serve primarily as a left-handed power option off the bench.
His unusual mound appearance against the Texas Rangers on August 27, 2025, where he recorded his first career strikeout against Joc Pederson, became one of the season’s most talked-about moments for the Angels. The team designated him for assignment on September 12, 2025, before he cleared waivers and was outrighted to Salt Lake on September 14.
Looking ahead, Kavadas remains in the Angels system with an opportunity to rebuild his major league role. His track record of patience, on-base skills, and power to all fields gives him a clear path back to the big leagues if he can produce at the Triple-A level.