Boston Red Sox prospect Jason Groome shines in debut
Top Red Sox pitching prospect Jason Groome made his debut Monday in the Gulf Coast League. He came as advertised and looked ready for the challenge.
Boston Red Sox fans have spent most of the season worrying about the team’s starting pitching, and now it’s really the pitching staff as a whole. They got a treat and a glimpse into the future on Monday afternoon, as newly signed prospect Jason Groome took the mound for the first time in his professional career for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox.
The 17 year-old (he’ll be 18 on Tuesday), who was drafted 12th overall by the Red Sox just this year, showed us what all of the hype was about. The announcement that he would get a chance to throw some pitches came about one week ago, which may have seemed a bit much for some fans, but others are pretty hardcore when it comes to following prospects up through the ranks. Groome proved he will indeed one of those names that people track in the paper the morning after he pitches in the minors.
The 6’6” New Jersey native out of Barnegat High threw two scoreless innings allowing just one hit with no walks. He also struck out three batters with a fastball that he has no issue locating and a big curveball that fooled a couple batters. Most importantly, the youngster looked like he belonged on the field and the moment was too big for him.
"“I have goals for myself. I know that I’m at the end of the ladder right now, but I know that as long as I trust in my stuff and trust the process, there’s no reason why I can’t be up there,” said Groome, according to the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier."
After Dave Dombrowski chose to trade 18-year old prospect Anderson Espinoza to the Padres for Drew Pomeranz, all eyes turned to Groome as the next big, young pitching prospect in the pipeline. Sure, the Sox have Michael Kopech and Brian Johnson as well as a couple other arms in the system, but it’s arguable that Groome has the highest ceiling of the group. In fact, SoxProspects.com now lists Groome as the top pitching prospect in the pipeline (fourth overall).
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It’s important to note that Groome was listed as the best pitcher and top prospect heading into the draft in many circles, but he slipped all the way to Boston at twelve. Why? It’s not exactly clear, but there are apparent concerns about his maturity and if he is ready for the big time. The Red Sox were willing to take the risk and still paid Groome a handsome sum of $3.65 million.
But Groome showed us what the fuss is about on Monday. He has the presence, the size and the ability to throw a couple great pitches. According to Speier, he noted that he’ll work on a changeup as time progresses, but for now he just wants to perfect the fastball and curveball.
Speier also notes that Dick Such, the GCL Sox pitching coach, discussed Groome’s pitch selection:
"“He’s got an excellent fastball, a really good breaking ball, and the changeup is still a work in progress. It’s a really good arm. He has a nice, easy release. If we can keep his mechanics in order, he should be a good one.”"
Next: Red Sox: Henry Owens a can't miss prospect that likely will
Let’s hope those concerns about his off-field behavior are just hype, and that Groome really is ready for the fast path to the Majors. It will be interesting to see how quickly he progresses given the rut that previous top prospects such as Henry Owens have found themselves in. The Red Sox haven’t had the best luck with grooming (pun intended) homegrown pitching talent besides good ol’ Jon Lester. I’m convinced that Groome could be the one that changes all of that.