Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Groover wasn't a regular on the high school showcase circuit but impressed evaluators with his bat speed at the World Wood Bat Association World Championship last October. He's a product of The Walker School (Marietta, Ga.), which also spawned No. 1 overall pick Mike Ivie and a second big leaguer in David Hale. Though he has been scouted less than most players on this list and the shortened high school season didn't help his cause, he's intriguing as a possible middle infielder with offensive upside.

Groover's whippy right-handed swing and projectable 6-foot-3 frame could translate into average or better pop as he gains strength and experience. He already shows a knack for making hard line-drive contact, fueling optimism that he'll get to most of his power potential. He doesn't try to do too much at the plate, keeping his stroke compact and not expanding the strike zone.

A high school shortstop, Groover almost certainly will change positions at the next level. He has reliable hands and good instincts, but his average speed and arm strength fit better at second base. Some scouts think the UNC Charlotte recruit could wind up at third base if his arm gets stronger or an outfield corner if he slows down as he fills out.

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Arm: 45 | Field: 40 | Overall: 50

Groover hit .351 as a freshman at UNC Charlotte in 2021, transferred to NC State the following year and never stopped hitting for the Wolfpack. He produced a .332/.430/.546 line with 13 homers and a 26/36 K/BB ratio over 57 games as a junior last year and was selected by the D-backs in the second round that July, signing for exact slot at $1.783 million. Groover went 23-for-87 (.264) and struck out only nine percent of the time over a 23-game stint with High-A Hillsboro to end the summer.

The right-handed slugger has a quiet and simple stance at the plate, letting his hands do the firing because of their impressive quickness. He manipulates the barrel well, too, helping him make contact against pitches of all types, and he especially feasted on fastballs, whiffing on only nine percent of his swings against heaters in college in 2023. His swing can be grooved, leading to solid line drives across the park, but he has 20-homer upside if he can elevate a bit more.

Groover’s defense was his biggest drawback going into the Draft. Below-average speed made him a first baseman as a freshman and sophomore, and while his fast reactions helped him move to third base last year, he still lacks the range and arm strength (with a short throwing motion) to project as anything more than below-average at the position. His plus bat would hold up at the cold corner, second base or the outfield, where he also got looks in school. It was at first that he suffered a broken left wrist on April 9, an injury that kept him out for three months of his first full season.

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Arm: 45 | Field: 40 | Overall: 50 

Groover impressed scouts with his bat but wasn't a regular on the showcase circuit and didn't get much of a chance to show what he could do as a Georgia high school senior in the shortened 2020 season, so he went unpicked in the five-round Draft. He continued to perform in college, at UNC Charlotte as a freshman and after transferring to North Carolina State, earning an invitation to try out for the U.S. collegiate national team last summer. There are few doubts that he can hit but many questions about where he fits defensively. The D-backs selected him in the second round in July and signed him for exactly slot at $1.783 million.

Groover has quality bat-to-ball skills and likes to attack pitchers early in the count. He has tremendous feel for the barrel and drills line drives from foul pole to foul pole, though his ability to make contact does cut into his walk totals. His right-handed swing is relatively flat but he has the hitting ability, bat speed and strength for 20-homer power if he can add more leverage. 

With well-below-average speed and fringy arm strength at best, Groover's defensive options are limited. Primarily a first baseman in his first two college seasons, he has moved to third with the hope that he might be adequate there. He also has played second and the outfield corners, and he does have fast hands, but his lack of quickness and range is a concern at any spot.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	11/08/2024	National League Fall Stars activated 3B Gino Groover.
	09/25/2024	3B Gino Groover assigned to Salt River Rafters.
	09/01/2024	3B Gino Groover assigned to Amarillo Sod Poodles from Hillsboro Hops.
	07/19/2024	Hillsboro Hops activated 3B Gino Groover from the 60-day injured list.
	07/06/2024	sent 3B Gino Groover on a rehab assignment to ACL D-backs.
	07/06/2024	Hillsboro Hops sent 3B Gino Groover on a rehab assignment to ACL D-backs.
	04/13/2024	Hillsboro Hops transferred 3B Gino Groover from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
	04/11/2024	Hillsboro Hops placed 3B Gino Groover on the 7-day injured list.
	03/07/2024	Arizona D-backs Prospects activated 3B Gino Groover.
	08/10/2023	3B Gino Groover assigned to Hillsboro Hops from ACL D-backs Red.
	08/08/2023	3B Gino Groover assigned to ACL D-backs Red from ACL D-backs Black.
	08/07/2023	3B Gino Groover assigned to ACL D-backs Black from ACL D-backs Red.
	08/03/2023	3B Gino Groover assigned to ACL D-backs Red.
	07/17/2023	Arizona Diamondbacks signed 3B Gino Groover.
	05/24/2023	College Workout activated 3B LuJames Groover III.
	03/27/2023	1B LuJames Groover III assigned to North Carolina State Wolfpack.
	03/27/2023	North Carolina State Wolfpack activated 3B Gino Groover.
	07/02/2022	USAB Stripes Team activated SS LuJames Groover.
	07/01/2022	SS LuJames Groover and assigned to College Workout.
	04/30/2022	2B LuJames Groover III and assigned to North Carolina State Wolfpack.