2nd pick in 2024 MLB draftthe Washington Nationals selected 22-year-old Caleb Lomavita from the University of California, Berkeley with the 39th overall pick, acquiring the Honolulu, Hawaii-born catcher.
The Nats’ vice president of amateur scouting Danny Haas, the top-ranked backstop in the draft class, described Lomavita as a “warrior,” according to Baseball America.
“I’ve really enjoyed watching him since high school,” Haas told reporters when he was introduced to the Capitals after signing Lomavita.
“He has consistently high energy… Someone said to me ‘warrior’ the other day. He’s physically gifted. Obviously he’s very strong. But he… He’ll surprise you with his run time. He shows up ready to play. … He’s pretty much everything we want in a backstop.”
Lomavita, then 21, hit .322 with 13 doubles, 15 triples, 15 home runs, 52 RBIs, 12 walks, 12 stolen bases, and 51 RBIs in 55 games in 2024.
“He had an on-base percentage of .395,” the club said in a press release about the deal, adding, “…he had a .586 slugging percentage and was one of eight catchers in NCAA Division I with at least 10 stolen bases. , with over 10 home runs. He led the team with 133 total bases, which was fifth most in the Pac-12.
The 39th pick in the draft belonged to Kansas City, but Lomavita said he felt it was providence until he was selected as part of the trade that sent Hunter Harvey to the Royals.
“I’m a religious person,” he explained. “I think God has put me in the perfect position and everything is going to work out the way it needs to.”
The fact that he ended up on fellow Hawaiian catcher Kurt Suzuki’s former team is a win for Suzuki. world series The Crown was the second positive development for Romavita.
“I think my whole career I’ve been compared to somebody.” [Suzuki]” he said.
“Everything was like, “Hey, you’re going to be the next Kurt Suzuki.” They said, “You’re going to be the next Kurt Suzuki,” and I was drafted by the Nationals and the next… One step closer to Kurt Suzuki. ”
At the time of his signing, Romavita was eager to get back on the field after a long break following his college career.
“Oh, I got a lomo itch,” he said, referring to himself in the third person.
“I have no choice but to quit baseball for this long. When I was young, especially in Hawaii, everything was year-round. There was no bad weather. It was year-round. This is the longest period of time I haven’t played baseball. I think it’s the longest I’ve ever played. So I’m already excited to be on the field and happy to be with a great team and organization.”
The Nationals also added a catcher to their organization and were excited to begin his professional career.
“He’s pretty much everything you could ask for in a backstop,” Haas said.
The club added another catcher in the third round, 79th overall, and also selected Texas Tech’s Kevin Buzzell. This wasn’t necessarily part of the plan, but it worked because it was what the system needed.
“We were never going to say we were going to draft a catcher,” Haas said.
“We were delighted that a talented player of Roma level was available to us.
“But we’ve definitely had conversations with (Nationals’ Vice President of Player Development) Eddie Longosz that it would be nice to get some more catchers.” [Nationals’VicePresidentofPlayerDevelopment)EddieLongoszthatitwouldbenicetogetsomemorecatchers”
Lomavita is currently ranked No. 10 in the organization by MLB Pipeline Scouts, while Buzzell is ranked No. 14 as the top catcher in the Nationals’ system.
