Washington Nationals news & notes: Nats added catching in 2024 Draft…

Notes and quotes on two catchers added to the mix in the 2024 MLB Draft…

With their second pick of the 2024 MLB Draft, the Washington Nationals selected 22-year-old Caleb Lomavita out of the University of California, Berkeley, taking the Honolulu, Hawaii-born catcher with the 39th overall pick.

The top-ranked backstop in the draft class according to Baseball America, Nats’ Vice President, Amateur Scouting Danny Haas described Lomavita as a “warrior.”

“It’s been a blast watching him since high school,” Haas told reporters when Lomavita was introduced to the nation’s capital after signing.

“He’s been consistent as a high-energy … somebody said ‘warrior’ to me the other day. He’s gifted physically; obviously he’s very strong. But he will shock you with run times. He’s got a big arm. He shows up ready to play. … He’s pretty much everything we look for in a backstop.”

Lomavita, then 21, hit for a .322 AVG with 13 doubles, a triple, 15 home runs, 52 RBIs, 12 walks, 12 stolen bases, and 51 runs scored in 55 games in 2024.

“He posted a .395 on-base percentage,” the club noted in a press release on the signing, with a, “… .586 slugging percentage, and was one of eight catchers in NCAA Division I with 10 or more stolen bases and 10 or more home runs. He led his team with 133 total bases, which ranked fifth-most in the Pac-12.”

The 39th pick of the draft was Kansas City’s, until it was included as part of the trade that sent Hunter Harvey to the Royals, which Lomavita said he felt was divine providence.

“I’m a religious guy,” he explained. “I think God placed me in the perfect position, and everything will work out exactly as it needs to be.”

The fact he ended up on fellow Hawaiian catcher Kurt Suzuki’s former team, with whom Suzuki won a World Series crown, was a second positive development for Lomavita.

“My entire career I think I’ve been compared to [Suzuki],” he said.

“Everything is, ‘Hey, you’re going to be the next Kurt Suzuki.’ ‘You’re going to be the next Kurt Suzuki,’ and then I got drafted to the Nationals, and it’s one step closer to being the next Kurt Suzuki.”

At the point he signed, Lomavita was just eager to get back on the field after a long time off following the end of his college career.

“Oh, Lomo’s been itching,” he said, referring to himself in the third person.

“I can only stop playing baseball for so long. When I was younger, everything was year-round, especially in Hawaii. No bad weather. It’s been year-round. I think this is the longest stretch I’ve gone without playing baseball. So I’m already excited to get on the field and I’m glad it’s with an amazing team and organization.”

The Nationals, too, were excited to add the catcher to the organization and get him started on his pro career.

“He’s pretty much almost everything you look for as a backstop,” Haas said.

The club added another catcher in the 3rd round, 79th overall, drafting Texas Tech’s Kevin Bazzell as well, which wasn’t necessarily part of a plan but did work out well in terms of what the system needed.

“We definitely didn’t set out to say we’re going to draft catchers,” Haas said.

“We were happy that a talented one at Loma’s level was available at our pick.

“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.”

Lomavita is currently ranked 10th in the organization by MLB’s Pipeline scouts, with Bazzell 14th as the top catchers in the Nationals’ system.