LuJames Groover Walks Through His Spring Training Mindset

LuJames Groover is a top prospect for the Arizona Diamondbacks and could be the team's future at one of the corner infield positions. Despite a tough season staying healthy last year, he impressed mightily with his strong bat and penchant for hitting along with reaching Double-A.

He was the star player of Friday's Spring Breakout game in which the Diamondbacks' prospects beat the Kansas City Royals' prospects 5-2. Groover was the standout player on both teams.

He smoked multiple balls, one down the left field line and one off the center field wall, for a double and triple, respectively. In total, over his three at-bats, Groover had the two hits and an RBI. His triple was hit at a 106.7 mph exit velocity and hit high up the batter's eye in CF. The ball was estimated to have traveled 416 feet.

Still can't get over how far this went and wasn't a homer. 416 feet !

LuJames Groover's RBI triple https://t.co/vEQawjiFPr #MLBFilmRoom via @MLB
— Jack Sommers (@shoewizard59) March 17, 2025

When asked how that performance felt and the game went, Groover said, "It's another game. Go out there, have fun, enjoy the moment. They put together the best team that they thought would get the job done, just take it for what it's worth. We go out there, we handle business, just have fun as a team and enjoy the experience."

Groover spent a good portion of Spring Training in big league camp before being reassigned to Minor League Camp. That afforded him the chance to develop and work with consistently MLB players and coaches.

Groover shared how it's been developing over the course of Spring Training, "It's an everyday grind. We go out there. Some days are better than others. You've got to take that rocky road that we go through up and down with every day.

"Don't let it get you too high, don't let it get you too low. Stay as even-keeled as you can be and things like that. I take it each day for what it's worth. Some days I feel good, some days I feel bad. It's part of the process. You just go out there, and you take it for what it is and enjoy it."

Through 18 plate appearances in Cactus League play, Groover has two hits, including a home run, an RBI, one walk, and six strikeouts.

As for what he took away from experiencing an MLB camp and getting to know the D-backs players, Groover mentioned how MLB players do everything correctly all the time and how that's the "biggest separator" between MLB and MiLB players, despite the MLB level being what everyone's goal is.

Groover continued to explain how he's learning how to be an MLB player from interacting with the guys. "That's the goal, which is to be there for many years. We go out there, we see how they do it, the everyday things that they do. Sometimes it's boring, but it works. Just finding out different routines that work for each person.

"Everybody's different. So just finding out what worked for me, seeing other guys move and how their thought process is, asking questions, learning from everybody I can learn, whether it's Suarez at third base, maybe talking with Ketel about hitting and things like that."

Groover recalled a specific memory of when he got to know Josh Naylor better during a game: "I remember there was a day I was backing up, and I talked to Naylor for the whole five innings before I went in. Some were about baseball, some were just about life. There's more to baseball. Just learning about your new teammates, guys who come over here, I'm just hearing different perspectives and taking as much information as I can."

Groover assumes he's going back to Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles to begin the season where he had a couple of weeks to end last season. Depending on how he does in that hitter heaven, he could get promoted to Triple-A Reno as soon as mid-season and set up a potential MLB debut in early 2026.

His goal for 2025 is simply stay healthy. "My main focus this year is just staying on the field." He missed a large chunk of last season with a wrist injury which is one of the reasons why Arizona had Groover play in the Arizona Fall League last October.

The transition from Hillsboro to Amarillo is a significant change for a ballplayer. Hillsboro is very much a pitcher-friendly environment with a ballpark that can be tough on hitters. Meanwhile, Amarillo is wildly different experience. It's an extreme hitter-friendly park and environment that can resemble Coors Field.

"I'm a dude who takes my regular swings, and it's just a plus as a hitter. Going from Hillsboro to Amarillo is two completely opposite sides of the spectrum. You go from very pitcher-friendly to very hitter-friendly, so I was very happy about that. I'm not going to change my approach or anything. It honestly just played more into it for me," Groover said.

Good luck to LuJames Groover this season as he climbs the minor leagues for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He's a major part of their future and has plenty of potential to be better than an every-day player in MLB.