FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Kalamazoo, Mich. – On Friday, Aug. 16, Kalamazoo Growler Niko Kavadas made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Angels. The 2018 Growler is the 12th alum to make their debut in the majors and third in the 2024 season.

In 2018, Kavadas led the team with 65 hits across 57 games while slashing .308/.422/.455. Combining 21 extra-base hits including five home runs, Kavadas drove in 30 RBI. Kavadas joins Matt Mervis, Joe Boyle, and Joey Loperfido as one of four separate 2018 Growlers to have made their major league debuts.

Playing collegiately at Notre Dame, Kavadas dominated in his senior season with the Fighting Irish setting program’s the single-season home run record while ending second all-time in career home runs. Just a couple of weeks after being named a 2021 First-Team Division I All-American, Kavadas was drafted in the 11th Round of the MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox.

In 2022, Kavadas was named the Boston Red Sox Offensive Minor League Player of the Year. Over the course of the 2022 MiLB season, Kavadas was promoted a pair of times. After hitting .286 with 14 home runs and 48 RBI across 59 games with Low-A Salem, Kavadas hit .308 with 28 RBI and 10 home runs with High-A Greenville. Kavadas ended the year with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs.

After hitting 14 home runs in 2023 with Portland, Kavadas was promoted to Triple-A Worcester. While struggling to end the season with the WooSox, Kavadas found consistency in 2024. Across 83 games, Kavadas slashed .281/.424/.551 before being traded to the Angels at the deadline.

Following 11 games with Triple-A Salt Lake, Kavadas was promoted to make his major league debut against the Atlanta Braves.

The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its’ 31^st season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 26 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, 360 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TEX), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (STL) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner, and two-time All-MLB first-team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (at watch.northwoodsleague.com), ESPN+, and the Northwoods League Network.  Learn more and find complete streaming schedules at watchnwl.com. For more information, visit www.growlersbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Growlers as your favorite team.