Gavin Conticello's Got it Going in Amarillo

Gavin Conticello had quite the birthday week against the San Antonio Missions to add on to a hot start to the month of June. It started last week when Conticello, 22, helped the Sod Poodles escape making history by breaking up the Drillers no-hitter in the the seventh inning of a rain shortened game, grounding a 1-0 pitch for Amarillo's first hit of the month. Since then Conticello has slashed .333/.422/.513/.935 in the two series so far this month.

Gavin Conticello - Photo Credit: Emma McReynolds

Conticello struggled at times to hit in May, posting a line of .225/.402/.310/.712, but one number on that slash sticks out in the best way possible. Conticello has added a new tool to his belt this year with his new found patience at the plate, even when struggling that month he walked 18 times in 23 games played, still managing to keep his OBP above the .400 mark through that. The Sod Poodles lefty has seen his BB% skyrocket this season to 16.3% from 8.5% just a year ago.

“I think it's a combination of a lot of things. Every year, I'm just getting more and more at bats, and I'm getting more and more comfortable out there." Conticello said of the jump. "I'm seeing good pitches. I'm staying more stubborn to my approach, and the umpires here, they have a little bit better feel for the zone too, so I don't feel like I have the need to expand so as much.”

Sod Poodles hitting coach Ty Wright has spent the last two years with Conticello, as he and Sod Poodles Manager Javier Colina watched as the outfield became the single season hit leader for the Diamondbacks High-A affiliate Hillsboro Hops in 2024 with 143.

He’s learning who he is as a hitter. What he's really good at, and sticking to that approach, making the pitchers come in that zone." Wright explained "He's done a great job of laying off some pitches that in the past, he swung at, and an extra pitch can make a difference."

As of Monday Conticello sits at 36 walks on the season, 3/4 of the way to his total of 36 in his record setting season last year, leading him to a top five OBP in the Texas League at .402, only trailing Tommy Troy for the team lead this seson. The Sod Poodles outfielder hasn't just impressed his hitting coach but his manager as well at the plate. "He's been working so hard with Ty (Wright) trying to simplify things. Sometimes you try to do too much, instead of staying through the ball a little bit longer and thinking more about line drives." Colina said of Conticello. "For the most part, in the Texas League the ball flies, and he has sneaky power, but we want him to put the ball in play more and be more consistent, trying to think more hard contact, good quality at bats, and he's coming a long way. He had such a great series last week, in Tulsa hitting the ball consistently."

Gavin Conticello

Before being taken by the Diamondbacks in the eighth round in 2021 Conticello spent most of his of his high school career at Coral Springs Charter before transferring to baseball power house Marjory Stoneman Douglas where he would help them capture their second National Championship alongside Red Sox outfielder and current #1 Prospect in baseball Roman Anthony under Coach Todd Fitz-Gerald. “From being around for so long and having really good players over the years, and I’ll go back all the way to 2008 when I had Eric Hosmer, Deven Marrero, and Nick Castellanos. Seeing what a pro looked like he fit the bill, the body, the power, the size, the swing, and how he handled his business. He said pro all over him, you could see it.” Fitz-Gerald said about Conticello who slashed .351/.439/.585/1.024 with 12 extra base hits in 30 games his senior season. “He always had the propensity to come up with a big hit when we needed it that year and was a really good defender.” 

Just years after winning the National Championship, he would find himself facing off with of the best players in baseball coming off this own championship. At Spring Training in 2023 Conticello matched up with Shohei Ohtani just days after the NL MVP struckout his then teammate Mike Trout to win the World Baseball Classic. ​​"Oh, yeah, that was awesome.We saw him warming up on the field, and all the cameras around him. We didn't know we were gonna face him until we got there at the field." The outfielder said. "Just watching him out there, it was like he didn't even look real. I ended up getting two at bats off him. I got him the first time for a 3-2 homer, but then he ended up striking me out my next at bat."

Gavin Conticello - Photo Credit: Emma McReynolds

In 2024 Conticello made the switch from the infield, where he had played essentially his entire life, to the outfield. The transition at this point almost looks seamless despite the then “I'd never played outfield honestly in my whole career. I was always a middle infielder, and then, my first two or three years of pro ball, I was a corner infielder. The transitions, honestly been pretty smooth, but I can credit the Diamondbacks because they have a great coaches, Ty (Wright), our outfield coordinator Peter Bourjos has helped me a lot as well with outfield work, and getting all the reps I can during BP has helped me become a better outfielder.” Despite having only played there regularly just the past two seasons, Conticello’s arm strength and speed has found a home in the outfield, but his coaches know that it wasn’t an easy transition how it’s looked at times so far this season “It’s not easy. 
When you go from the infield to the outfield it's hard because you’re taking different routes, angles to the ball. Trust me, right field is not an easy position on the field." Colina said. “He's working so hard in the outfield with Ty (Wright), he shags every day during BP. He's going to get better. You can see the strength in his arm so I don't worry about Conti defensively, he's going to be fine”

Conticello not only has made a positive impact on the field, but on his teammates as well, and no one had more to say about the outfielder than LuJames Groover "He shows up day in day out., comes and puts the work in, day in, day out. I love him, I love being around him. He brightens my day up." The Amarillo third basemen and Conticello's roomate (along with Troy) said with a radient smile talking about his teamate. "I'm happy he's here. 
I'm happy he's healthy. I hope he keeps having a great season and just playing hard and doing what he does best."

Gavin Conticello, LuJames Groover, and the Sod Poodles will be back in action looking to finish up the Texas League first half strong against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals for the first time this year.