Kalamazoo, MI – The Red Sox organization has announced their minor league player of the year awards. 2018 Growler Niko Kavadas was awarded the Offensive Player of the Year Award within the Red Sox organization. Kavadas was a highly touted player out of Notre Dame when he spent his sophomore summer season with the Growlers. In his time in Kalamazoo, Kavadas hit .308 with five home runs and 30 RBI. Kavadas helped lead the Growlers to a playoff birth and win in 2018.
Over the course of the 2022 MiLB season, Kavadas was promoted two separate times through the Boston’s minor league affiliates. Kavadas began the season with the Red Sox Low-A affiliate the Salem Red Sox. Playing 59 games in Salem, Kavadas hit .286 with 14 home runs and 48 RBI. That offensive production earned Kavadas a spot on the Greenville Drive, the High-A affiliate for Boston. Niko spent 37 games in Greenville where he continued to impress with his bat, hitting .308 with 28 RBI and an impressive 10 home runs. Once again Kavadas was given a promotion to the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs where he would finish the 2022 season.
Niko’s final stat line for the entirety of the 2022 MiLB season: .280 batting average, 26 home runs and 86 RBI.
Congratulations to Niko on this award and recognition. Kavadas could be in line to be the next Growler to make their MLB debut.
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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’ 29th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, 300 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 (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. 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.