| Jay Groome | |
|---|---|
| San Diego Padres – No. 55 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: August 23, 1998 Barnegat Township, New Jersey, U.S. | |
Bats: Left Throws: Left |
Jason Joseph Groome (born August 23, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres organization. He attended Barnegat High School in Barnegat Township, New Jersey, and was considered a top prospect in the 2016 MLB draft, where he was the 12th overall selection by the Boston Red Sox, who traded him to the Padres in 2022.
Groome began high school at Barnegat High School in Barnegat Township, New Jersey. He made the school's varsity baseball team as a freshman.[1] As a sophomore, had a 6–2 win–loss record and 0.57 earned run average (ERA) in 61+1⁄3 innings pitched for the school's baseball team. He transferred to the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, before his junior year, and committed to attend Vanderbilt University on a college baseball scholarship.[2] Groome pitched to a 5–0 record and a 1.22 ERA with 81 strikeouts and nine walks in 43 innings as a junior.[3]
Due to feeling homesick, Groome opted to return to Barnegat for his senior year.[4] However, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association ruled that Groome was ineligible to pitch for Barnegat in April 2016 because the transfer did not involve a change of address.[5] He regained his eligibility after 30 days, or half of Barnegat's games.[6]
Groome was a potential first overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft,[7][8][9] and worked out for the Philadelphia Phillies, who had the first pick.[10] Prior to the draft, Groome changed his college commitment from Vanderbilt to Chipola College, a junior college in Florida.[11][12] He was selected 12th overall by the Boston Red Sox in the draft,[13] falling in part due to a reported signing bonus demand of $4 million and because of his change in college commitment; teams had signability concerns.[12][14] The Red Sox and Groome agreed to a $3.65 million signing bonus.[15]
In 2016, Groome made two starts for the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Red Sox before being promoted to the Lowell Spinners of the Class A-Short Season New York-Penn League.[16] He posted a combined 2.70 ERA in three games for the Red Sox and Spinners. He spent 2017 with both Lowell and the Greenville Drive of the Class A South Atlantic League, going 3–9 with a 5.69 ERA in 14 games between both teams.[17]
At the start of the 2018 season, Groome did not play, with what was initially thought to be a flexor strain. On May 9, 2018, the Red Sox announced that Groome would undergo Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow.[18] In April 2019, Groome was projected to return mid-way through the 2019 season;[19] he made his first appearance on August 21, pitching an inning for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox.[20] After another one-inning appearance in the Gulf Coast League, Groome made one appearance with Lowell; overall for the season he pitched four innings, allowing five hits and one run (2.25 ERA).[17] After the 2020 minor league season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Groome was invited to participate in the Red Sox' fall instructional league.[21] Following the 2020 season, Groome was ranked by Baseball America as the Red Sox' number six prospect.[22]
On November 20, 2020, Groome was added to the 40-man roster.[23] In May 2021, he was assigned to Greenville, now a High-A team.[17] In early September, he was promoted to the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs.[24] Overall for the 2021 season, Groome made 21 starts and compiled a 5–8 record with a 4.81 ERA.[25]
Groome returned to Portland to start the 2022 season.[26][27] The Red Sox promoted him to the Worcester Red Sox of the Triple-A International League on July 14.[28]
On August 2, 2022, the Red Sox traded Groome to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Eric Hosmer, Max Ferguson, Corey Rosier, and cash considerations.[29][30] The Padres assigned Groome to the El Paso Chihuahuas of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.[31] He made 10 starts for El Paso after the trade, posting a 3–2 record and 3.16 with 44 strikeouts in 51+1⁄3 innings pitched.
Groome was optioned to Triple-A El Paso to begin the 2023 season, and was one of San Diego's final roster cuts after pitching to a 1.29 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 5 spring appearances.[32]
At the time of the MLB draft, Groome threw a four-seam fastball between 92–96 miles per hour (148–154 km/h), a changeup, and a curveball.[7] After recovering from Tommy John surgery, his fastball velocity declined to 90–94 miles per hour (145–151 km/h), but he also developed a cut fastball and a two-seam fastball.[31]
Groome has two older sisters and two younger brothers.[6] As of November 2020[update], Jay Groome was living in Fort Myers, Florida.[33] In December 2020, Groome married Amanda Muller, also of Barnegat, New Jersey; the two were expecting their first child in July 2021.[34]