This Draft prospect's competitive drive comes from his family -- including his world-famous sister

PHOENIX -- When asked what subject he knows more about than any other player at the MLB Draft Combine, Codey Gauff couldn’t help but smirk.

“Tennis,” he said as his hands started to lift in a stating-the-obvious shrug. “Well, I’ll just say sports, to be honest.”

For the Draft prospect, sports -- especially tennis -- isn’t just a hobby, it’s a family business. Gauff’s grandfather, Eddie “Red” Odom Jr., played three seasons of Minor League ball, his mother, Candi, was a heptathlete at Florida State, his dad, Corey, played basketball at Georgia State, and his sister, Coco, is ranked seventh in the world in women’s tennis. Not to mention younger brother, Cameron, plays football.

That pedigree fostered a place for not only competitive drive to cultivate but also smack talk to thrive.

“The way we go at each other, you would think we’re not related,” the 18-year-old said.

But as competitive as they are, the Gauff family is there for each other one way or another. When Codey announced he was committing to the University of Missouri on National Signing Day, his family was in attendance, and his sister shared her pride on social media.

“That's kind of our bond,” he said. “It doesn't matter how many followers she has or how much fame I have, that's just how close we’ve been since we were young. We were taught to be your siblings' biggest supporter. So that's what we do.”

And while managing multiple sports schedules can be tough for any family, let alone one with a professional athlete, Codey’s parents always make sure he feels supported too.

“If they're not there, they try to have my grandparents go, or somebody, a family member, just somebody to be in the stands,” he said. “I know it's hard because all of us play sports, so you can only be so many places at a time, but they do a very good job of just always trying to be as present as possible.”

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Up until the COVID-19 pandemic, Gauff was splitting his time between baseball and football. But with extended down time, he realized baseball was the path for him.

Since 2023, Gauff has taken part in an MLB Develops event each year, including the Hank Aaron Invitational and the DREAM Series. And he took part in a Padres scout team coached by Cameron Maybin in 2025 where he was teammates with fellow 2026 Draft prospect Jacob Lombard. Through those programs, the Delray Beach, Fla. native was able to grow behind the plate.

“Charles Johnson, Lenny Webster, those guys just instilling in me that you got to be a wall back there,” he said. “You can't take a rep off.”

As well as being a catcher, Gauff plays the outfield. And while he loves throwing players out at the plate, he said there’s nothing like the adrenaline of being the one to place the tag and hear the crowd subsequently erupt.

Gauff likes the way Ronald Acuña Jr. and Jazz Chisholm Jr. play the game, but he also carries his own swagger, noting he just tries “to model my game after me.”

There’s no shortage of role models for Gauff, whose grandfather not only played pro ball, but also has been an inspiration off the field. In 1970, Odom created a Little League for Black kids to play organized baseball in Delray Beach amid segregation. A year later, he and his wife, Yvonne, established the Delray Beach American Little League. The pair has worked for over 50 years to make the league a respected and welcoming part of the community.

With that example set, Gauff prides himself on being a “blue-collar guy” and a leader on the field. He describes himself as “one of the hardest-working guys in the Draft that strives to be better every day.” And he’s gotten a front-row seat to how that can pay off.

“[I’ve learned] how hard [Coco] works, goes day-in and day-out, and conducts herself like a professional athlete,” he said. “Just seeing that and seeing where I want to go, just kind of mirroring her work ethic and trying to just keep getting better.”

Of course, that work ethic he studied from Coco is also why he says he can best his tennis-star sister at table tennis, no question.

“She can’t beat me.”