RENO, Nev. – Every year, the Reno Aces front office awards four of its players a HOME award to recognize their efforts throughout the season. This year, they were handed out on Sunday, September 13 and the 2026 Player of the Year is LuJames Groover.
In a season where he made his MLB debut and missed the final three weeks due to injury, the groove was still in his heart as Groover saw time in 96 contests while manning the corners of the infield, the third most games on Reno in 2026.
Entering the year as Arizona’s No. 6 ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline, Groover wasted no time introducing himself to the Reno faithful. In his Triple-A debut Groover notched a four-hit effort, making him the second Ace in team history to record four or more hits in a season opener since Diego Castillo on March 31, 2023. That was the first of two-four hit efforts by Groover in his first seven contests.
Part of that effort stretched into the next week as in just his second Pacific Coast League series of the year Groover was named the PCL Player of the Week. The East Point, Ga. native was a run-producing machine against the Salt Lake Bees from April 7-12 with a PCL-best 13 RBI while hitting .476 with three doubles and a home run.
It may have taken him longer than he would have liked to hit his first home run, Groover did so in grand fashion as his first Triple-A dinger was a grand slam on April 8 against Salt Lake Bees. By the end of the game Groover had tallied six RBI, making him the 27th Ace in team history to drive in six or more runs in a single contest.
Absolutely on fire in the first half of the season, Groover reached base safely in 36 consecutive games from April 3-May 16 while also logging a .437 on-base percentage. That streak was the fifth longest in franchise history, and at the time of its conclusion stood as the third longest such streak in all professional affiliated baseball.
On June 5, Groover got the call every ballplayer hopes to receive as he was selected to make his MLB debut. Though he was 0-for-4 in his debut game against Washington on June 5, Groover logged hits in each of his next five contests and played a total of 15 games before rejoining Reno.
Groover was not done with the weekly PCL recognition as he again was named PCL Player of the Week from July 21-26 in a six-game set with the Tacoma Rainiers. This time his average was even better by batting .520, and the North Carolina State product tallied 13 hits with nine going for extra bases thanks to five doubles, a triple, and two homers. Not to mention, Groover also scored eight times while driving in seven more.
All told, Groover managed to collect 122 total hits on the season which ranked 10th among all players in the Arizona organization from MLB down to Single-A (excluding Rookie league). Additionally, his 73 runs scored were tied for 11th and his 58 walks were tied for 13th.
Specifically to Reno, Groover found himself among the top five in numerous categories as he was first in hits (114) and doubles (27), second in RBI (57) and runs scored (69), fourth in batting average (.305), and ninth in OPS (.825).
A mainstay in the heart of the Reno lineup during his time, an anchor at the corners of the infield with his incredible glove work, and an immediate fan favorite from day one, there was no doubt that LuJames Groover was the Ace in the deck for 2026.
The Reno Aces’ 2027 home opener is set for Tuesday, March 30 as they host the Tacoma Rainiers, Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Season tickets are currently on sale – for more information, fans can visit RenoAces.com or call (775) 334-7000.
