The Importance of Spring Training: How it Shapes Players of All Levels
PEORIA, Ariz. — When someone says “spring,” people may think of colorful flowers blooming, sprouting plants and sunny days mowing the lawn. In Arizona, however, the word “spring” means much more than that. Since 1947, spring days in the greater Phoenix area have meant beautiful afternoons at the ballpark watching and playing some of the best baseball the world has to offer.
For major leaguers, spring training is a time to get back in the swing of things before Opening Day. As for minor-league prospects hoping to make the big-league roster, the Cactus League presents a unique opportunity to showcase their skills and learn from veterans of the sport.
“I think more important than the game is for those younger guys to see how the older guys approach every day,” Seattle Mariners pitching coach Pete Woodworth said. “And how they go about their preparation.”
Woodworth, a St. Petersburg, Florida, native, played his college ball at Florida Gulf Coast University before going undrafted in the 2010 MLB Draft. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Rays and played one professional season of rookie ball before shifting his career to coaching.
He served as the pitching coach for his alma mater from 2015-16 before being hired by the Mariners. Woodworth worked his way from Class A all the way to the big leagues, as he was promoted to lead Seattle’s pitching staff in 2019.
While he didn’t have the luxury of being around veterans in spring training as a player, Woodworth has seen the importance of camp for minor league players who are trying to progress through the system.
“When you’re young, the reason why you either go to the University of Florida or you go get drafted, you play professional baseball, is because you’re talented,” he said. “The reason why the guys succeed at the big-league level, the guys who separate themselves, [it’s because they] are the guys who work smarter, work more diligently.”
One player who has had the opportunity to learn under the tutelage of Woodworth is right-hander Jackson Kowar. The 28-year-old was drafted in the first round by the Kansas City Royals out of UF in 2018. He spent his first three major-league seasons with the Royals before being traded to Seattle during the 2024 offseason. He ended up tearing his UCL and requiring Tommy John surgery last March, forcing him to miss the entirety of the season.
While recovering and preparing to make a comeback to the majors, Kowar has seen how the Mariners organization treats and develops its prospects during the spring.
“This organization is really special in the fact that they really empower the young guys,” he said. “They do a really nice job of making those guys feel like they’re right there.”
While Kowar has spent many years in big-league camps and has blossomed into big-league talent, he said he didn’t feel like he did enough when he was working his way up. He said he didn’t ask enough questions to try to learn from the veterans in the clubhouse.
Kowar’s former college teammate, and now a budding MLB bullpen ace, is Arizona Diamondbacks left-handed reliever A.J. Puk. The two spent one year together with the Gators in 2016. Following that season, Puk was drafted with the No. 6 overall pick by the then-Oakland Athletics.
The 6-foot-7 southpaw is now on his third MLB team. He was traded in 2023 to the Miami Marlins, where he spent just over one year before being dealt to the D’backs at last season’s trade deadline. Now in his sixth year in the majors, Puk knows what helped put him in the position he’s in now.
“What I did when I was young was just kinda watch and see what they did to prepare,” Puk said. “See what their routine was, and just add to my routine, take away from my routine. If I was doing too much, doing too little and just play with that. Once you get your routine down, everything just falls in place.”
Puk, 29, now serves as an example for younger players on how to prepare and get the most out of every second in the big leagues. The same can be said for his Arizona teammate right-hander Ryan Thompson.
The side-arm slinger has played in professional baseball since 2014, and, like Puk, is playing in his sixth MLB season. Thompson began his career with Tampa Bay before being traded to the D’backs in 2023.
“I value veteran-to-rookie relationships a lot,” he said. “I was blessed to come up with Tampa and experience the leadership of Willy Adames, Chaz Roe, Kevin Kiermaier. [Those are] some guys who did a really good job with leadership.”
Thompson’s career has been on an upward trajectory since joining Arizona. He has a 2.87 ERA in 85 relief appearances with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 65 K’s to just 17 walks during his time with the Snakes.
While Thompson saw success in 2024, Arizona’s pitching staff as a whole is looking to improve this year after finishing 27th in baseball in ERA last season. Thompson hopes to be a part of that improvement, while helping the future of the organization as well, he said.
“I know what it’s like to be a rookie in the clubhouse and spring training and be nervous,” he said. “Just trying to bridge those gaps, and show those guys that are new to the organization or new to the clubhouse that we’re just human beings like them.”
While spring does bring a time of peace and growth in the world, in the Cactus League, it also brings a time and place for young professional ballplayers to grow their games in hopes of stepping on a major league field for the first time.
More Spring Training Coverage:
* A.J. Puk Starting to Feel Comfortable in Deep D’backs ‘Pen
Category: Arizona Diamondbacks, Cactus League, Seattle Mariners, Top Stories
Tagged: A.J. Puk Arizona Diamondbacks Cactus League Jackson Kowar MLB Spring Training Seattle Mariners Spring Training 2025
