SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Fall League is, for many players, a proving ground, a chance to head west and showcase their skills in front of a whole new audience.

For Kody Huff, it¡¯s a homecoming.

The Guardians prospect, once a standout at Scottsdale¡¯s Horizon High School, got to return to his stomping grounds as he takes part of the premier prospect circuit. During Friday afternoon¡¯s 10-9 Saguaros victory over the Scorpions at Surprise Stadium, Huff had the chance to play in front of his grandparents while delivering a three-hit effort and throwing out two runners on the basepaths.

Baseball has long been a family affair for the Huffs: Kody¡¯s dad, Tim, spent two seasons in the Blue Jays system before embarking on a career as a scout and national crosschecker for multiple clubs; uncle Ken played for Single-A affiliates of the Twins and D-backs in 2002; uncle Kevin was a standout at the University of Arizona. The group all starred for Horizon, a program that has produced six Major Leaguers since the turn of the 21st century.

¡°I've been raised around baseball my whole life,¡± Huff said. ¡°My dad's been in professional baseball for a long time, so I got to see it from a young age and kind of find my own love for the game as I was growing up.¡±

That love meant forgoing the start of his pro career after his high school tenure wrapped up. A 32nd-round pick of the Rays in 2019, Huff honored his commitment to Stanford -- but not before he took a significant detour, to Alaska of all places.

The Alaskan Summer League is a veritable baseball paradise, even if it involves a bit of culture shock. Joining the then-three-time reigning champion Mat-Su Miners, Huff was looking to use his time in the southern part of The Last Frontier to put himself on the Cardinal radar out of the chute.

¡°I had a great time -- it was awesome, a great experience,¡± Huff said. ¡°It got me really ready for some adversity going in to try and win a spot in my freshman year at Stanford.¡±

Then the pandemic-shortened 2020 season struck. After a down year of production, Huff tore it up as a junior in 2022 and played his way into becoming a seventh-round pick of the Rockies amidst their college-heavy class. His first full season came with Single-A Fresno in ¡®23, where he finished third in the California League in runners caught stealing (29) and graded out as an above-average pitch framer.

As is often the case across the Minor League landscape, someone is watching -- even if it¡¯s not your own organization.

Less than a year ago, Huff was back in Palo Alto finishing his undergraduate degree. Then he got an unexpected call -- he was on the move to Cleveland in a one-for-one swap for right-handed pitcher Cal Quantrill. He went from studying engineering to learning a new pitching staff and organizational philosophy.

¡°I think it was a good move for me,¡± Huff said. ¡°It's a new experience but an exciting one. I think it's exciting to go to a new place and meet some new people and kind of engage in some new philosophies and a way of doing things. I think I fit in really well here and I really enjoyed my first year with Cleveland.¡±

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The trade -- and subsequent Fall League assignment -- has meant that Huff can continue working out at the Guardians¡¯ complex in Goodyear, Ariz., a boon for a backstop still getting used to the intricacies of his new organization. Huff spent all of the 2024 regular season at Double-A Akron, where he thwarted 33.3 percent of basestealers while also getting a brief look at first base (which he has also done during his time with Surprise).

In many ways, the Fall League has been an extra six-week crash course designed to put him on the path he one day hopes to make a habit of: staying home to prepare for the rigors of a big league season.

Arizona. Alaska. Northern California. Cape Cod. Akron.

It¡¯s been a peripatetic journey for Huff. But mere miles from where his baseball journey began, he gets to put on display how far he¡¯s come and where he still might go.