INF Kodey Shojinaga (@KUBaseball) is an intriguing Sophomore-eligible prospect. Was outstanding as a true Freshman and hit .378/.421/.526 with 11 2B, 6 HR, and 32 RBIs. Also slashed .326/.396/.349 across 11 games on the Cape. Shojinaga was named Co-Freshman of the Year in the Big 12 and earned a Team USA invitation.
Medium build at 5'10", 190-lbs with some physicality in the lower-half. Slightly open front side in the box with a normal handset. Holds bat horizontally over his back shoulder with the barrel pointed slightly back. Medium-high leg kick, but the stride itself is small. Little bit of a bat wrap, but he's consistently on time. Average bat speed.
Hit over power profile right now, but Shojinaga has an advanced feel for the barrel and plus bat-to-ball skills. Last season, he sported a 93% overall IZ contact rate. Approach is sound, but sometimes chases down/away. Does a nice job of using the whole field and working inside the baseball. Would put a 55 on the pure hit tool.
Sound defender at 2B with above average arm strength and makes the plays he needs to make. He has quick hands and some range in either direction. Shojinaga also has experience catching, and got some reps behind the plate this summer for Team USA. Will be interesting to see what it would look like if he focused on catching - actions need refining, but the arm strength is there.
Shojinaga will need to really hit, and he's capable of doing so. This July, he profiles as a 5th-8th round pick.
My personal top catcher in this year's Draft is Caleb Lomavita (@CalBaseball). Fresh off a 2023 season in which he was a First Team All-Pac-12 selection after hitting .316/.367/.612 with 13 2B, 16 HR, and 43 RBI. Also has an outstanding wood bat track record, compiling a .323/.364/.460 slash line across 2 Cape League seasons. Was a two-time CCBL All Star.
Thick, physical frame at 5'11", 200-pounds. Relaxed setup in the box with a slightly open front side and medium-high handset. Has found a happy medium with what used to be a high leg kick.
Very aesthetically pleasing and athletic operation - rotates really well, extends through the baseball beautifully, and has plus bat speed. Consistently creates leverage, especially to the pull side. 60-grade raw power that he gets into in games.
Lomavita has plus bat-to-ball skills as in 2023 he boasted a 90% IZ contact rate, including 91% against FB. No problems whatsoever with velo. Hit tool is a 55 right now, but has a chance to be plus with a more refined approach - namely continuing to improve pitch recognition skills.
Athleticism really stands out. Excellent mover behind the dish with an above average arm. Slam dunk to stick at the position. Most underrated part of his game is his speed. Arguably a plus runner who has 15+ SB upside. With another strong spring at Cal, Lomavita has top-20 overall upside this July.
Cal C Caleb Lomavita is one of the best collegiate bats on the west coast this year. Slashed .316/.367/.612 with 16 HR. It’s a good mix of hit and power. + bat speed. Pretty good barrel awareness. Catching has shown improvement year after year. If the in game power can continue to show up and he shows the ability to stick behind the plate Lomavita should have day 1 interest. #theanalyst ⚗️🧪 @braddahcaleb@CalBaseball
Due to the recent coaching changes and St. Marys I have decided to reopen my recruitment. My stats from my junior season were 41 hits .414 BA, .504 OBP .505 SLG and 24 rbis.
Tough night for the #Dash, but great outing from Claunch, who looks to have pitching to fall back on. He puts up W-S's only 0 line of the game. #WhiteSox