Red Sox prospects named to Baseball America’s Top 100
By Mike El-Far
Starting at number 41, let’s look at left-handed pitcher Jason Groome. He was the star of Barnegat Academy in New Jersey, and his talent was seen as a top 3 prospect entering the 2016 MLB Draft.
Maturity issues, coupled with Groome’s declaration for wanting a high signing bonus kept some teams away. Dave Dombrowski could not resist, taking Groome with the 12th overall pick. Groome spent most of the summer negotiating with the Red Sox, and they finally came to a deal.
More from Red Sox News
- Former MLB All-Star slams Red Sox for ’embarrassing’ treatment of Rafael Devers
- Red Sox invited group of players you’ve probably never heard of to Spring Training
- Jeter Downs’ official departure will continue to haunt Red Sox
- Aaron Judge’s Yankees return a brutal reminder of what could have been for Red Sox
- Red Sox should capitalize on Yankees’ latest roster move
It is safe to say that we have simply not seen enough from Groome in his professional career. In 2016, he had a total of three starts. He made his first two starts for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox, and then started one game for the Lowell Spinners. 2017 was supposed to be the very early measuring stick for Groome. But, his 2017 has not been a fruitful one.
In his first start with the Greenville Drive, Groome was able to only record four outs. He also gave up a staggering 9 runs, and walked three batters. It was very uncharacteristic of the left-hander, who has extreme control. Also, he was only able to record one strikeout, which is completely unlike his game.
After the start, it became clear why Groome struggled so much. He was put on the disabled list with a lat strain, and has not been activated yet. The injury happened on April 10th, so there is clearly something wrong with Groome’s back. Again, he is just a 19 year old kid, so Boston clearly does not want to rush him back.