University of Kansas head coach Dan Fitzgerald knows the Phillies organization, and he believes the team found a perfect fit for Philadelphia in the sixth round of the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft.
Catcher Kodey Shojinaga, a backstop by trade who played all over the infield for Fitzgerald’s Jayhawks for the past two seasons, was selected with the No. 192 overall pick by the Phillies on Monday. The Hawaii native has advanced bat-to-ball skills from the right side of the plate and plays with a bit of an old-school edge.
“He’s a guy who loves to play,” Fitzgerald told Phillies Nation by phone on Tuesday. “… I think there are guys that love training, and I think that there are guys that still thrive on competing and playing the game. … And Kodey is a throwback in terms of just his joy in playing baseball.”
Shojinaga, 21, batted .335/.402/.485 with five home runs and 20 doubles in 54 games this year to follow up his 2023 Big 12 Freshman of the Year campaign. He drew 25 walks compared to his 22 strikeouts and appeared in games at second base, third base, first base and catcher. Now, he’s landed in an situation that suits him, according to his college coach.
Fitzgerald has a number of connections to the Phillies organization, starting near the top of the pecking order. Rob Thomson, the big-league manager in Philadelphia, was one of the “all-time great Jayhawks” as a player in the 1980s, and the Phillies skipper has kept in touch with Fitzgerald since he took over the program in 2023 to offer support and guidance.
Additionally, Fitzgerald maintains a relationship with minor-league slugger Darick Hall, who’s played in parts of two major-league seasons with the Phillies, from his time as an assistant coach at Dallas Baptist, he crossed paths with minor-league pitching coordinator Travis Hergert as they got their starts in player development and he enjoys working with Phillies area scout Justin Munson as he analyzes players at Kansas. Fitzgerald is familiar with how the Phillies operate, and he’s confident Shojinaga will fit the team’s mold.
“Rob (Thomson) is just such a professional, and I think the Phillies value great teammates at such a high level,” he said. “That’s where I think Kodey is going to fit in really well. I’ve heard Rob say a few times: You got to prepare, you got to compete and you got to be a great teammate. Kodey is all those things, so I think he is going to be just a fantastic addition to the Phillies.”
Something of a utility catcher, Shojinaga entered college with the tools to play behind the plate, but found himself primarily playing the infield at Kansas. The situation was simple: The Jayhawks had a strong catcher in Jake English, and Shojinaga’s versatility allowed them both to play regularly. Fitzgerald still believed in Shojinaga’s ability to catch in the long term, and the Phillies share that thought as he starts his professional career.
“What it ultimately leads to, I can’t guarantee 100%. But we brought him in to be a catcher, and that’s what Kodey wants to do as well,” Phillies assistant general manager and head of amateur scouting Brian Barber told reporters on Tuesday.
That adaptable and unselfish mindset that allowed him to play out of his natural position could be an advantage for Shojinaga as he joins the Phillies system. He’s a hard worker and willing to do whatever his team needs, with enough athletic ability to help his team in a variety of ways. That seems like a winning formula to the person he played under most recently.
“Kodey’s a winner,” Fitzgerald said. “… He’s very good at controlling things he can control. He’s not anywhere close to overly emotional. He’s very stoic, very mature. I don’t think he cares where he’s at in the field, and I don’t think he cares where he’s at in the lineup. He literally just wants to win.”
