Lomavita gives Nats much-needed catching depth

PROSPECT REVIEW: CALEB LOMAVITA

Age on opening day 2025: 22

How acquired: Drafted in Competitive Balance A round in 2024 from University of California, Berkeley; pick acquired via trade along with Cayden Wallace from Royals for Hunter Harvey in July 2024

Ranking: No. 10 per MLB Pipeline, No. 9 per Baseball America

MLB ETA: 2027
* Projected by MLB Pipeline

Signing bonus: $2.33 million

2024 levels: Single-A Fredericksburg

2024 stats: 17 G, 71 PA, 61 AB, 15 R, 13 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 10 RBIs, 3 SB, 2 CS, 5 BB, 13 SO, .213 AVG, .310 OBP, .246 SLG, .556 OPS

Quotable: “I only started really catching when I was a sophomore in college. So last year was when I took on the primary role of catcher. Last year was more of, alright, go out there, do your job, make pitches look like strikes and throw people out that run. And it wasn’t until this year that I took the role of a catcher really seriously. We started watching a lot of film before games. We started to make sure that we knew their top three hitters. We wanted to make sure that everyone was on the same page. For example, my pitching staff, I had to build those relationships. We had a lot of new pitchers coming in. I didn’t realize how much effort and attention and time you needed to put into the little things during the time as a catcher. But it was fun. … Catching and offense, there was a big task upon me this year, and I think I handled it pretty well.” – Caleb Lomavita

2024 analysis: Lomavita wasn’t highly recruited coming out of high school in his native Hawaii. But three seasons at Cal and two summers in the Cape Cod League made him one of the best catching prospects in this year’s draft class.

As a junior, Lomavita hit .322 with 13 doubles, one triple, 15 home runs, 52 RBIs, 12 walks, 12 stolen bases and 51 runs scored in 55 games with the Golden Bears. He had a .395 on-base percentage and .586 slugging percentage while being one of eight Division I catchers with 10 or more stolen bases and 10 or more homers. He led Cal with 133 total bases, which ranked fifth-most in the Pac-12.

The Nationals used the Competitive Balance A pick they received from the Royals in the Hunter Harvey trade to select Lomavita at No. 39 overall. After signing him just under slot value at $2.33 million, they assigned him to Fredericksburg for the final month of the season and postseason run.

Lomavita struggled to adjust to professional pitching as a hitter in his short time at Single-A. He only recorded 13 hits and two extra-base hits while striking out 13 times in 17 games. But he did drive in 10 runs and used his uncommon speed for a catcher to swipe three bags in five chances.

Behind the dish, Lomavita had a perfect fielding percentage with 90 putouts and 13 assists. He also threw out 39 percent of would-be basestealers.

Lomavita played a significant role in the FredNats’ run to the Carolina League championship, starting in all five playoff games and catching three, including the title-deciding game with top pitching prospect Travis Sykora on the mound. He also recorded two hits in the final game.

2025 outlook: Anyone who meets “Lomo” is going to instantly fall in love with him. His big smile and bubbly personality is contagious. That was abundantly clear even through his first Zoom meeting with members of the local media after the draft.

From a baseball standpoint, the Nationals fell in love with his prospects as a catcher, a position in which they desperately need depth.

His contact skills and strength allow him to project as an above-average hitter. He also grades higher with his speed than most catchers, which is a bonus. But his athleticism and work ethic have allowed him to project as a top catching prospect.

With only two college seasons as a catcher under his belt, Lomavita embraced the challenge of the sport’s hardest position. In just his second season as a full-time backstop, he earned the confidence from his coaches to call his own pitches in 60-70 percent of Cal’s games this year, which is rare for a catcher of not only his age but with his limited experience.

That being said, Lomavita still has a lot to learn behind the plate. He has plus arm strength, but he needs to continue improving his receiving and quicken his release. Reports say his strong arm and athleticism could suit him well at third base or the outfield if needed, but there is no reason to believe he cannot be a full-time catcher.

As the Nats build up the middle of the field, catcher was the one position that lacked depth. Lomavita and third-round pick Kevin Bazzell are the only catchers in either of the Nats’ top 30 prospect lists. Keibert Ruiz is signed for the long term, but Riley Adams and Drew Millas remain question marks behind him. Given time and development, Lomavita could find himself as the major league backup – or long-term starter – sooner rather than later.