Jay Groome

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #9 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Medium
  
  Track Record: Groome was arguably the top high school pitcher in the country when the Red Sox drafted him 12th overall in 2016, but his career has been sidetracked by injuries. He missed all of 2018 and most of 2019 after having Tommy John surgery and lost the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic but threw at the alternate training site. He returned to the mound with diminished stuff and athleticism but still made his way from Double-A to Triple-A in 2022, where he was having a solid season when the Padres acquired him in the deal that sent Eric Hosmer to the Red Sox. Groome stepped into the rotation at Triple-A El Paso and finished the year strong in hitter-friendly conditions to rise up the Padres' organizational depth chart heading into the offseason.
  
  Scouting Report: Because his stuff never fully bounced back after surgery, Groome is more of a pitchability lefthander than someone who overwhelms hitters. His fastball sits 90-94 mph and can touch 95-96. He commands the pitch to all quadrants of the zone and has added a two-seamer and an average cutter. His formerly elite curveball is more horizontal these days than a true north-south biter, but it is still average. Groome has ballooned from 220 to 262 pounds, so his conditioning and stamina are issues the Padres would like addressed. He often dominated early only to fall apart after a few innings, so it was a step in the right direction for him to complete eight innings for the first time after arriving in El Paso. He has reverse platoon splits and dominates righthanded hitters while struggling against lefties.
  
  The Future: Groome may no longer have a top-end ceiling, but he can still help the Padres in the back of the rotation or in the bullpen. He'll head to spring training with an eye on winning an Opening Day roster spot.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 50. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 50
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #10 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Groome was considered arguably the top high school pitcher in the country when the Red Sox drafted him 12th overall in 2016, but his career has been sidetracked by injuries. Groome missed all of 2018 and most of 2019 after having Tommy John surgery and saw his full-season return delayed when the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 minor league season. He finally had a full, healthy season in 2021 and was inconsistent across outings but still rose to Double-A Portland.
  
  Scouting Report: Groome’s best stuff never fully came back following surgery, but his arsenal remains plenty potent. His fastball sits at 90-94 mph and touches 95-96 and he commands it to all quadrants of the strike zone. Though Groome’s fastball lacks elite spin rates, hitters don’t seem to pick it up, resulting in late swings and misses. His formerly elite curveball has not regained its bite since surgery but still works as an average offering. He’s developed a slider that flashes above-average and an average changeup he can use below the zone. Groome has ballooned from 220 to 250 pounds, and his conditioning and stamina are issues. He often dominates early in outings only to fall apart after a few innings. He has reverse splits and dominates righthanded hitters while struggling against lefties.
  
  The Future: The visions of Groome as a top-of-the-rotation starter have faded, but getting through a healthy 2021 represented a step forward. He could still emerge as either a back-of-the-rotation starter or a late-inning reliever if he remains healthy.
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #6 prospect in 2021
  Fastball: 55. Curveball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 55.
  Track Record: One of the top high school talents in the 2016 draft, Groome has pitched just 66 minor league innings due to injuries, including having Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2018 season and most of 2019. The Red Sox sent him to their alternate training site in 2020 to get innings, and he held his own against more advanced hitters while offering a reminder of why he’d been so highly-regarded as an amateur.
  
  Scouting Report: Groome has the raw materials of a lefthanded starter, including a powerful build, a controlled, repeatable delivery and giant hands that allow him to manipulate the ball. He typically works at 92-94 mph with his four-seamer, and the deception in his delivery resulted in lots of whiffs on fastballs at the alternate site. The plus-plus curveball he featured pre-Tommy John has not come back, but still flashes above-average to plus. Groome emphasized his changeup while rehabbing, and the pitch projects as average. He’s also started experimenting with a slider, and could feature either that or a cutter as a fourth pitch.
  
  The Future: Groome possesses mid-rotation potential but still has a lot to prove, including whether he can stay healthy over a full season. He’ll likely open 2021 in high Class A. .
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #8 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: One of the best prep pitchers in the 2016 draft, Groome has thrown just 66 pro innings due to injuries, including a torn ulnar collateral ligament that required Tommy John surgery and cost him all of 2018 and most of 2019. Still, he returned to games by the end of 2019, showed flashes of swing-and-miss stuff, and continues to feature a ceiling that arguably surpasses that of any other pitcher in the Red Sox farm system.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Groome received strong marks for the strength and conditioning work he did over his rehab from Tommy John surgery. He has a prototypical starter's build, generating power stuff with an easy delivery. In his return, Groome sat at 92-94 mph and topped out at 96. His signature offering, however, is a hammer curveball—a pitch for which he was still looking to regain his feel in his return from Tommy John. Groome's changeup improved from fringy to average during his rehab, and his natural ability to manipulate the ball makes it easy to imagine the development of a cutter.
  
  THE FUTURE: Groome likely will start 2020 in low Class A Greenville. If healthy, he could move quickly to high Class A Salem. At age 21, he's young enough to believe that his top-of-the-rotation upside remains intact, even if his poor health track record raises questions about whether he'll realize it.
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #4 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: In the two years since the Red Sox jumped when Groome fell to them at No. 12 overall, the lefthander has shown glimpses of why he was viewed as perhaps the most talented high school pitcher in his draft. After a difficult first pro season in 2017, he appeared poised for a leap forward after an offseason spent in Fort Myers, Fla.,working out frequently with Chris Sale. Yet at the end of a dominant spring training he suffered an ulnar collateral ligament tear and had Tommy John surgery in May.
  
  Scouting Report: When healthy, Groome showed a strong mix of three average to plus pitches and a tremendous ability to manipulate the ball with an easy delivery that augurs well for the ability to command a complete mix. In spring training, his fastball sat regularly in the mid-90s, and his sharp, two-plane curveball got plenty of swings and misses. He also showed improvement with his changeup. Down the road, his feel for the ball suggests that a cutter could be added to the mix.
  
  The Future: If all goes well, Groome will join an affiliate by the middle of the 2019 season. He still has No. 2 starter ceiling, but with concerns throughout the industry about how close he’ll come to reaching it.
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #1 prospect in 2018
  Groome was viewed as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft as a standout talent who as a teenager had a big league frame, low-effort velocity and a swing-and-miss curveball that made it easy to imagine an impact starter. He fell to No. 12 due to both signability and off-field concerns, but the Red Sox felt comfortable with his makeup and were thrilled at the chance to select someone with such a high ceiling, and they signed him for a just-above-slot $3.65 million. Groome's full-season debut in 2017 proved rocky. He left his first start at low Class A Greenville with an intercostal strain that sidelined him for two months and later experienced minor forearm soreness that ended his season in mid-August. During the season, his father was arrested on drug and weapons charges. In between those challenges, Groome showed inconsistent but promising flashes of the stuff. With a tall, upright delivery and the ability to spin a hammer curveball to pair with elevated four-seam fastballs, Groome already harbors similarities with Drew Pomeranz. While he worked in the low 90s for most of his injury-riddled 2017, he's expected to gain velocity with more exposure to a professional conditioning program. He's still learning how best to employ a changeup, but evaluators believe that his natural ability to manipulate the ball will give him the ability to emerge with at least a solid-average pitch, while anticipating that his ability to spin the ball will allow him to develop a quality cutter. His cutter, in turn, could allow him to open the plate in a way that allows him to move beyond some of the pitch efficiency challenges he endured in 2017. His athleticism and easy ability to generate power from his delivery suggest that, despite walking 4.9 per nine innings in 2017, he has a chance to develop above-average control. With Chris Sale reaching out to Groome to work out with him during the offseason, the Red Sox are optimistic that the young lefthander will be ready to hit the ground running in 2018. He should be able to gain momentum at Greenville before an in-season move to high Class A Salem. He'll be pitching nearly all of 2018 as a 19-year-old, suggesting little need to rush across levels. If he can remain healthy, his anticipated pitch development suggests a possibility of a No. 2 or No. 3 starter.
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #3 prospect in 2017
  The Red Sox considered Groome the best high school pitching prospect in the 2016 draft. His imposing frame and repeatable delivery, along with an easy low- to mid-90s fastball and nasty breaking ball, screamed future big league impact. Though Groome seemed like a possible No. 1 overall pick, questions related to both his signability and off-field concerns left him on the board for the Red Sox at No. 12 overall. He signed for $3.65 million at the July 15 deadline. Groome shows unusual polish for a prep pitcher, his delivery generating easy power in a fashion that reminds some of Jon Lester or Andy Pettitte. Without ratcheting up his effort level, he comfortably dials his fastball from 91-95 mph with a hammer curveball that seems likely to overwhelm lower-levels competition. He didn't need his changeup as an amateur but shows feel for the offering. Feedback about his makeup in his seven-inning pro debut was also universally positive. Groome should open 2017 at low Class A Greenville, and the quality of his stuff suggests he could cruise through the lower levels if he remains healthy and keeps his delivery in order. He shows all the elements of a potential front-of-the-rotation starter.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #3 prospect in 2016 draft
  Groome is a physical lefthander with potential for a potent three-pitch mix. He spent his junior season at IMG Academy before moving back home to New Jersey for his senior year. He has wide shoulders and thick, well-developed muscles. Groome's fastball can reach into the mid-90s, touching as high as 97, and he shows the ability to locate the pitch down and to either side of the plate. As he settles in, Groome usually pitches in the low 90s, sitting at 90-94. His best secondary pitch is a menacing curveball, thrown with upper-70s velocity and plus bite. He'll have to work on staying on top of and behind the pitch more consistently, but it could develop into a plus-plus pitch down the line. Groome also mixes in a changeup, which he's able to spot down in the strike zone. He has a sound delivery with a clean arm, with the strength to repeat his mechanics. Physically, Groome is as gifted as any player in the class. He is also younger than many of his peers, not turning 18 until August. Groome is committed to Vanderbilt, but he is expected to sign if he's selected as high as his tools would indicate.’

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #83 prospect in 2018
• Ranked Baseball America's #43 prospect in 2017

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Medium
  
  Track Record: Groome was arguably the top high school pitcher in the country when the Red Sox drafted him 12th overall in 2016, but his career has been sidetracked by injuries. He missed all of 2018 and most of 2019 after having Tommy John surgery and lost the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic but threw at the alternate training site. He returned to the mound with diminished stuff and athleticism but still made his way from Double-A to Triple-A in 2022, where he was having a solid season when the Padres acquired him in the deal that sent Eric Hosmer to the Red Sox. Groome stepped into the rotation at Triple-A El Paso and finished the year strong in hitter-friendly conditions to rise up the Padres' organizational depth chart heading into the offseason.
  
  Scouting Report: Because his stuff never fully bounced back after surgery, Groome is more of a pitchability lefthander than someone who overwhelms hitters. His fastball sits 90-94 mph and can touch 95-96. He commands the pitch to all quadrants of the zone and has added a two-seamer and an average cutter. His formerly elite curveball is more horizontal these days than a true north-south biter, but it is still average. Groome has ballooned from 220 to 262 pounds, so his conditioning and stamina are issues the Padres would like addressed. He often dominated early only to fall apart after a few innings, so it was a step in the right direction for him to complete eight innings for the first time after arriving in El Paso. He has reverse platoon splits and dominates righthanded hitters while struggling against lefties.
  
  The Future: Groome may no longer have a top-end ceiling, but he can still help the Padres in the back of the rotation or in the bullpen. He'll head to spring training with an eye on winning an Opening Day roster spot.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 50. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 50
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Medium
  
  Track Record: Groome was arguably the top high school pitcher in the country when the Red Sox drafted him 12th overall in 2016, but his career has been sidetracked by injuries. He missed all of 2018 and most of 2019 after having Tommy John surgery and lost the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic but threw at the alternate training site. He returned to the mound with diminished stuff and athleticism but still made his way from Double-A to Triple-A in 2022, where he was having a solid season when the Padres acquired him in the deal that sent Eric Hosmer to the Red Sox. Groome stepped into the rotation at Triple-A El Paso and finished the year strong in hitter-friendly conditions to rise up the Padres' organizational depth chart heading into the offseason.
  
  Scouting Report: Because his stuff never fully bounced back after surgery, Groome is more of a pitchability lefthander than someone who overwhelms hitters. His fastball sits 90-94 mph and can touch 95-96. He commands the pitch to all quadrants of the zone and has added a two-seamer and an average cutter. His formerly elite curveball is more horizontal these days than a true north-south biter, but it is still average. Groome has ballooned from 220 to 262 pounds, so his conditioning and stamina are issues the Padres would like addressed. He often dominated early only to fall apart after a few innings, so it was a step in the right direction for him to complete eight innings for the first time after arriving in El Paso. He has reverse platoon splits and dominates righthanded hitters while struggling against lefties.
  
  The Future: Groome may no longer have a top-end ceiling, but he can still help the Padres in the back of the rotation or in the bullpen. He'll head to spring training with an eye on winning an Opening Day roster spot.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 50. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 50
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Groome was considered arguably the top high school pitcher in the country when the Red Sox drafted him 12th overall in 2016, but his career has been sidetracked by injuries. Groome missed all of 2018 and most of 2019 after having Tommy John surgery and saw his full-season return delayed when the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 minor league season. He finally had a full, healthy season in 2021 and was inconsistent across outings but still rose to Double-A Portland.
  
  Scouting Report: Groome&#39s best stuff never fully came back following surgery, but his arsenal remains plenty potent. His fastball sits at 90-94 mph and touches 95-96 and he commands it to all quadrants of the strike zone. Though Groome&#39s fastball lacks elite spin rates, hitters don&#39t seem to pick it up, resulting in late swings and swings and misses. His formerly elite curveball has not regained its bite since surgery but still works as an average offering. He&#39s developed a slider that flashes above-average and an average changeup he can use below the zone. Groome has ballooned from 220 to 250 pounds, and his conditioning and stamina are issues. He often dominates early in outings only to fall apart after a few innings. He has reverse splits and dominates righthanded hitters while struggling against lefties.
  
  The Future: The visions of Groome as a top-of-the-rotation starter have faded, but getting through a healthy 2021 represented a step forward. He could still emerge as either a back-of-the-rotation starter or a late-inning reliever if he remains healthy.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 50. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 55.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Groome was considered arguably the top high school pitcher in the country when the Red Sox drafted him 12th overall in 2016, but his career has been sidetracked by injuries. Groome missed all of 2018 and most of 2019 after having Tommy John surgery and saw his full-season return delayed when the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 minor league season. He finally had a full, healthy season in 2021 and was inconsistent across outings but still rose to Double-A Portland.
  
  Scouting Report: Groome’s best stuff never fully came back following surgery, but his arsenal remains plenty potent. His fastball sits at 90-94 mph and touches 95-96 and he commands it to all quadrants of the strike zone. Though Groome’s fastball lacks elite spin rates, hitters don’t seem to pick it up, resulting in late swings and misses. His formerly elite curveball has not regained its bite since surgery but still works as an average offering. He’s developed a slider that flashes above-average and an average changeup he can use below the zone. Groome has ballooned from 220 to 250 pounds, and his conditioning and stamina are issues. He often dominates early in outings only to fall apart after a few innings. He has reverse splits and dominates righthanded hitters while struggling against lefties.
  
  The Future: The visions of Groome as a top-of-the-rotation starter have faded, but getting through a healthy 2021 represented a step forward. He could still emerge as either a back-of-the-rotation starter or a late-inning reliever if he remains healthy.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 55. Curveball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 55.
  Track Record: One of the top high school talents in the 2016 draft, Groome has pitched just 66 minor league innings due to injuries, including having Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2018 season and most of 2019. The Red Sox sent him to their alternate training site in 2020 to get innings, and he held his own against more advanced hitters while offering a reminder of why he'd been so highly-regarded as an amateur.
  
  Scouting Report: Groome has the raw materials of a lefthanded starter, including a powerful build, a controlled, repeatable delivery and giant hands that allow him to manipulate the ball. He typically works at 92-94 mph with his four-seamer, and the deception in his delivery resulted in lots of whiffs on fastballs at the alternate site. The plus-plus curveball he featured pre-Tommy John has not come back, but still flashes above-average to plus. Groome emphasized his changeup while rehabbing, and the pitch projects as average. He's also started experimenting with a slider, and could feature either that or a cutter as a fourth pitch.
  
  The Future: Groome possesses mid-rotation potential but still has a lot to prove, including whether he can stay healthy over a full season. He'll likely open 2021 in high Class A. .
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 55. Curveball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 55.
  Track Record: One of the top high school talents in the 2016 draft, Groome has pitched just 66 minor league innings due to injuries, including having Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2018 season and most of 2019. The Red Sox sent him to their alternate training site in 2020 to get innings, and he held his own against more advanced hitters while offering a reminder of why he’d been so highly-regarded as an amateur.
  
  Scouting Report: Groome has the raw materials of a lefthanded starter, including a powerful build, a controlled, repeatable delivery and giant hands that allow him to manipulate the ball. He typically works at 92-94 mph with his four-seamer, and the deception in his delivery resulted in lots of whiffs on fastballs at the alternate site. The plus-plus curveball he featured pre-Tommy John has not come back, but still flashes above-average to plus. Groome emphasized his changeup while rehabbing, and the pitch projects as average. He’s also started experimenting with a slider, and could feature either that or a cutter as a fourth pitch.
  
  The Future: Groome possesses mid-rotation potential but still has a lot to prove, including whether he can stay healthy over a full season. He’ll likely open 2021 in high Class A. .
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 55. Curveball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 55.
  Track Record: One of the top high school talents in the 2016 draft, Groome has pitched just 66 minor league innings due to injuries, including having Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2018 season and most of 2019. The Red Sox sent him to their alternate training site in 2020 to get innings, and he held his own against more advanced hitters while offering a reminder of why he’d been so highly-regarded as an amateur.
  
  Scouting Report: Groome has the raw materials of a lefthanded starter, including a powerful build, a controlled, repeatable delivery and giant hands that allow him to manipulate the ball. He typically works at 92-94 mph with his four-seamer, and the deception in his delivery resulted in lots of whiffs on fastballs at the alternate site. The plus-plus curveball he featured pre-Tommy John has not come back, but still flashes above-average to plus. Groome emphasized his changeup while rehabbing, and the pitch projects as average. He’s also started experimenting with a slider, and could feature either that or a cutter as a fourth pitch.
  
  The Future: Groome possesses mid-rotation potential but still has a lot to prove, including whether he can stay healthy over a full season. He’ll likely open 2021 in high Class A. .
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: One of the best prep pitchers in the 2016 draft, Groome has thrown just 66 pro innings due to injuries, including a torn ulnar collateral ligament that required Tommy John surgery and cost him all of 2018 and most of 2019. Still, he returned to games by the end of 2019, showed flashes of swing-and-miss stuff, and continues to feature a ceiling that arguably surpasses that of any other pitcher in the Red Sox farm system.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Groome received strong marks for the strength and conditioning work he did over his rehab from Tommy John surgery. He has a prototypical starter’s build, generating power stuff with an easy delivery. In his return, Groome sat at 92-94 mph and topped out at 96. His signature offering, however, is a hammer curveball—a pitch for which he was still looking to regain his feel in his return from Tommy John. Groome’s changeup improved from fringy to average during his rehab, and his natural ability to manipulate the ball makes it easy to imagine the development of a cutter.
  
  THE FUTURE: Groome likely will start 2020 in low Class A Greenville. If healthy, he could move quickly to high Class A Salem. At age 21, he’s young enough to believe that his top-of-the-rotation upside remains intact, even if his poor health track record raises questions about whether he’ll realize it.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: One of the best prep pitchers in the 2016 draft, Groome has thrown just 66 pro innings due to injuries, including a torn ulnar collateral ligament that required Tommy John surgery and cost him all of 2018 and most of 2019. Still, he returned to games by the end of 2019, showed flashes of swing-and-miss stuff, and continues to feature a ceiling that arguably surpasses that of any other pitcher in the Red Sox farm system.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Groome received strong marks for the strength and conditioning work he did over his rehab from Tommy John surgery. He has a prototypical starter's build, generating power stuff with an easy delivery. In his return, Groome sat at 92-94 mph and topped out at 96. His signature offering, however, is a hammer curveball—a pitch for which he was still looking to regain his feel in his return from Tommy John. Groome's changeup improved from fringy to average during his rehab, and his natural ability to manipulate the ball makes it easy to imagine the development of a cutter.
  
  THE FUTURE: Groome likely will start 2020 in low Class A Greenville. If healthy, he could move quickly to high Class A Salem. At age 21, he's young enough to believe that his top-of-the-rotation upside remains intact, even if his poor health track record raises questions about whether he'll realize it.
• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  After an offseason spent working out in Fort Myers with Red Sox ace Chris Sale, Groome looked in spring training like a pitcher on the cusp of validating much of the hype that greeted his entry into pro ball as a 2016 first-rounder. His combination of a low-effort mid-90s fastball, a hammer curveball, and a promising changeup offered clear front-of-the-rotation potential. Yet a highly anticipated season was derailed before it started by a forearm injury that ultimately required Tommy John surgery in May. While Groome won’t pitch again until 2019, the pre-injury spring training outings suggested a ceiling that surpasses that of any other pitcher in the organization.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record:: Groome was viewed as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft as a standout talent who as a teenager had a big league frame, low-effort velocity and a swing-and-miss curveball that made it easy to imagine an impact starter. He fell to No. 12 due to both signability and off-field concerns, but the Red Sox felt comfortable with his makeup and were thrilled at the chance to select someone with such a high ceiling, and they signed him for a just-above-slot $3.65 million. Groome's full-season debut in 2017 proved rocky. He left his first start at low Class A Greenville with an intercostal strain that sidelined him for two months and later experienced minor forearm soreness that ended his season in mid-August. During the season, his father was arrested on drug and weapons charges. In between those challenges, Groome showed inconsistent but promising flashes of the stuff that made him a heralded high school pitcher. Scouting Report: With a tall, upright delivery and the ability to spin a hammer curveball to pair with elevated four-seam fastballs, Groome already harbors similarities with Drew Pomeranz. While he worked in the low 90s for most of his injury-riddled 2017, he's expected to gain velocity with more exposure to a professional conditioning program. He's still learning how best to employ a changeup, but evaluators believe that his natural ability to manipulate the ball will give him the ability to emerge with at least a solid-average pitch, while anticipating that his ability to spin the ball will allow him to develop a quality cutter. His cutter, in turn, could allow him to open the plate in a way that allows him to move beyond some of the pitch efficiency challenges he endured in 2017. His athleticism and easy ability to generate power from his delivery suggest that, despite walking 4.9 per nine innings in 2017, he has a chance to develop above-average control. The Future: With Chris Sale reaching out to Groome to work out with him during the offseason, the Red Sox are optimistic that the young lefthander will be ready to hit the ground running in 2018. He should be able to gain momentum at Greenville before an in-season move to high Class A Salem. He'll be pitching nearly all of 2018 as a 19-year-old, suggesting little need to rush across levels. If he can remain healthy, his anticipated pitch development suggests a possibility of a No. 2 or No. 3 starter.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: The Red Sox considered Groome the best high school pitching prospect in the 2016 draft. His imposing frame and repeatable delivery, along with an easy low- to mid-90s fastball and nasty breaking ball, screamed future big league impact. Though Groome seemed like a possible No. 1 overall pick, questions related to both his signability and off-field concerns left him on the board for the Red Sox at No. 12 overall. He signed for $3.65 million at the July 15 deadline. Scouting Report: Groome shows unusual polish for a prep pitcher, his delivery generating easy power in a fashion that reminds some of Jon Lester or Andy Pettitte. Without ratcheting up his effort level, he comfortably dials his fastball from 91-95 mph with a hammer curveball that seems likely to overwhelm lower-levels competition. He didn't need his changeup as an amateur but shows feel for the offering. Feedback about his makeup in his seven-inning pro debut was also universally positive.
  
  The Future: Groome should open 2017 at low Class A Greenville, and the quality of his stuff suggests he could cruise through the lower levels if he remains healthy and keeps his delivery in order. He shows all the elements of a potential front-of-the-rotation starter.