SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – In less than one week, the 2025 Amarillo Sod Poodles will make their home debut at Hodgetown with the first in a series of what promises to be a revolving cast of characters.
Some you’ve seen before, briefly or at length. Others perhaps you’ve heard about, but don’t know yet.
Either way, there are lots of names and faces to get familiar or reacquainted with over the next five months, all of whom are aiming to one day, sooner or later, reach the Sod Poodles big league affiliate, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The rest of this story is only for subscribers.
Whether or not they make it that far will be determined in large part by what they do playing with the Class AA Sod Poodles in the Texas League. That’s where their big league dreams will either bloom into fruition or fade into reality.
Either way, here’s a look at some prospects who should definitely be at Hodgetown in 2025, and those who may be headed here, if not immediately.
They had their cup of coffee – and then some
Some players who were in Amarillo for at least part of 2024 participated in a much-anticipated prospects game with the Kansas City Royals organization a few weeks ago. A couple are ticketed for a return to Hodgetown.
One of those is third baseman LuJames Groover, who arrived in Amarillo late last season. Groover hit cleanup in the prospects game, going 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.
“It’s an everyday grind,” Groover said. “Some days are better than others. You got to take that rocky road and don’t let it get you too high or too low. Stay as even keeled as you can be.”
That mentality helped Groover last season as he was breaking into the Diamondbacks organization. He missed a lot of time after he broke his left wrist last April, but climbed to Double-A before the end of the season, and is now Arizona’s No. 5 prospect.
Groover learned a few things playing at Hodgetown last season and he expects to start the season in Amarillo. He’s not so much concerned about the “where” in 2025 as he is with just being there.
“I missed a lot of time last year so my main focus is staying on the field,” Groover said. “(Amarillo) is very hitter-friendly but that’s out of my control. I’m going to take my regular swings, but it’s a plus as a hitter.
Like just about all the prospects who make their way to Hodgetown from the Diamondbacks Class A affiliate in Hillsboro, Ore., Groover noticed the differences quite quickly.
“Going from Hillsboro to Amarillo are two completely opposite sides of the spectrum,” Groover said. “You go from very pitcher-friendly to very hitter friendly and I was very happy about that. I’m not going to change my approach.”
Right-hander Dylan Ray approaches Hodgetown from a completely different perspective from Groover, considering that he’s a starting pitcher. In 16 starts for the Sod Poodles last season he had mixed results to say the least, going 2-5 with a 5.22 ERA.
Ray’s stuff has never been in question, as evidenced by his performance in the prospects game. He started against the Royals and threw two shutout innings.
“I think I’ve made some strides,” Ray said. “I’m throwing every pitch across the plate right now. It feels good to be able to do that early on in spring training. Sometimes it takes a little time to get going, so I feel like I’m in a comfortable spot heading into the season.”
Ray said he’ll be back with the Sod Poodles to start the season. If his performance in the prospects game is any indication, he might not be around long.
“I obviously don’t know how long I’m going to be there,” Ray said. “I can only control what I can control. I’m looking forward to it.”
Both literally and figuratively, Ray knows which way the wind blows at Hodgetown. A strong south wind is good news for right-handed hitters at Hodgetown and can result in an inflated ERA.
That’s one thing which is out of Ray’s hands, but it starts with him on the mound and making the hitters react, and the idea that if he can succeed at Hodgetown, he can succeed in most places.
“I would say it helps a lot mentally,” said Ray of the Hodgetown experience. “The biggest thing is you need to control the next pitch and it’s always building off that. The more pitches you execute the better you’re going to do.
“Especially in Amarillo, you really need to make your pitches count and get ahead in the count and execute with two strikes. When (a home run) does happen it’s not the end of the world from a results-oriented standpoint but from a process-oriented standpoint.”
Coming soon to Hodgetown
For some in the D-Backs organization, it’s not so much a question of if, but when they’ll be moving up to Double-A. A few top 10 prospects in the organization seem like fairly good bets to make their Hodgetown debuts before the end of 2025.
The last stop before Amarillo is generally Hillsboro, the Diamondbacks High A affiliate. That’s where infielder Tommy Troy, the No. 8 prospect for the Diamondbacks, spent most of last season.
Troy has gotten the scuttlebutt of what it’s like to play at Hodgetown since he got to Hillsboro.
“I’ve heard a lot of good things about how the fan base is really good there with the energy,” said Troy of Amarillo. “I’ve heard it’s a fun place to hit. It’s something that stirs up a conversation but it’s not the biggest topic. The travel’s pretty fun with really good competition, so I’m excited.”
Other than the majors, the move from Class A to Double-A might be the most challenging climb on the professional baseball ladder. The park and the city don’t matter as much as adapting to the level of competition.
“I got a taste of some of that when I played well in the fall league,” Troy said. “I feel really prepared. Guys are more mature and there’s some more talent. I don’t feel like it’s going to be too much of a shock.”
That’s likely the approach of outfielder Druw Jones, the No. 7 prospect in Arizona’s organization. Jones, the son of former Atlanta Braves centerfielder Andruw Jones, hit leadoff in the prospects game and had two hits.
Like others in the organization, Jones has gotten wind of Hodgetown’s reputation. He said won’t impact his hitting whenever he arrives in Amarillo to take the next step.
“Whatever the team needs I’m there for,” Jones said. “I (like hitting leadoff) but I’m not going to change anything regardless of where I’m at. I hear a lot about how the ball flies (in Amarillo) and many times the exit velocity is down but a lot of guys are still hitting home runs. It should be a lot of fun to get out there.”
While Troy and Jones have gotten their feet wet in pro baseball, the Diamondbacks most recent first round draft choice is just getting started with that. Outfielder Slade Caldwell was drafted out of high school in Arkansas last year, was a two-time Arkansas high school player of the year, but has leapt to No. 3 on the organization’s prospect list.
Caldwell will start the season at at Low Class A Visalia in the California League. He’s a left-handed hitting outfielder and has gotten some tips from fellow lefties Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas, Diamondbacks who have World Series experience and made stops in Amarillo on their way to the bigs.
“They have been great role models for me,” Caldwell said. “I’m just really trying to slow the game down. It’s definitely just getting the reps in. There’s a lot more coming at you as a high school kid going into pro ball. There’s a lot of different variables you have to take day-by-day.”
Roof remembers Amarillo
Of all the players and coaches who were gathered at the Diamondbacks spring training facility to start 2025, perhaps nobody knows better what it’s like to succeed as a Sod Poodle than Shawn Roof.
For three seasons, Roof managed the Sod Poodles during their first three years as the Diamondbacks Double-A affiliate in the Texas League. In 2023, Roof managed the Soddies to a Texas League championship, the franchise’s second in five seasons.
After his stint in Amarillo, Roof was moved by the Diamondbacks to their Triple-A franchise as a bench coach with the Reno Aces, where he’ll also start this season. He’s seen a lot of familiar faces in that time.
“Quite a few of those guys I’d seen in Amarillo or Visalia,” said Roof, who prior to managing the Sod Poodles from 2021-23, managed the Class A Visalia Oaks in the California League. “We had a very good relationship already built so we kind of hit the ground running. The great thing about baseball is that when you put on that same uniform a relationship is built very quickly.”
That’s the main thing Roof remembers about his three years in Amarillo. Managing in a city which had been without affiliated pro baseball for 36 seasons before the Sod Poodles came to town in 2019 gave Roof an idea of how hungry Amarillo was to have a team back in town.
As much as Roof enjoyed winning a Texas League title and managing several future Diamondbacks, the fan experience was as memorable as anything on the field.
“I think first and foremost it was the players and staff I was lucky enough to be around for those three years,” Roof said. “There were a lot of really good people and friendships built, but also the fans were amazing. They were top notch and came out every single night. I got to meet a lot of really good people there in three years.”
Aside from the fans who were present at the downtown stadium Hodgetown on most nights, there’s probably nobody else who got to see how the stadium played for hitters most nights.
Word naturally got around the Diamondbacks organization about how well the ball traveled when hit at Hodgetown, especially to left field. Roof has verified this with every prospect who’s asked him about playing at Hodgetown.
“I think the first thing is they know the ball is going to carry a little bit there and it’s hitter friendly,” Roof said. “They ask what’s the fan base like and there’s nothing but great things to say about the place.”