Red Sox 2016 first round pick Jay Groome pitched just 9 ⅔ innings the past two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2018.
The 2020 season was expected to be a crucial year in the lefty’s development with him finally healthy and ready to start on a regular schedule. Then came the coronavirus pandemic, which canceled the Minor League Baseball season and has stalled the development of so many young players.
But the Red Sox invited Groome to their alternate site, Triple-A Pawtucket’s McCoy Stadium, to give him as much chance to develop in 2020 as possible. He’s part of Boston’s 60-player pool. He’s not there as major league depth. There’s no chance he pitches for Boston this year. He’s simply there to work, pitch in simulated games and develop after a difficult two and a half years.
“It’s not really affiliated baseball, but it is for me,” Groome said during a Zoom call Wednesday. “I’m coming up here and getting my work in and showing these guys what I’ve got. I have a lot to prove.”
Groome featured a mid-90s fastball and a plus-curveball at just 18 years old when Boston selected him 12th overall and gave him a $3.65 million signing bonus. He drew early comparisons to Dodgers superstar Clayton Kershaw.
“I know I’m going against my teammates and everything, but ... everybody’s competing for a spot,” Groome said. “It’s real. I know I’m up here for different purposes. But it’s real for some of these guys. They’ve got to go out there and show these guys what they’ve got. So I’m not going to go out there and be the young dude that just goes through his motions. I want to be that dude that goes out there and just lights it up and lets his pitching do the talking.”
Pawtucket pitching coach Paul Abbott said Groome arrived in Pawtucket in “rehab mode.”
“You’re in the training room a lot. You’re not out on the mound. It can get monotonous. It can be Groundhog Day every day,” Abbott said recently. “And he came here and ... he was just in that routine. We asked him to intensify his bullpens and side sessions. And he did. Introduced some slight adjustments to the mechanics, get his legs more involved, get better extension on his fastball. He’s got more confidence in his breaking ball since the surgery. He said it’s the best he’s felt trusting the effort with it.
“He’s got this bounce in his step and he comes to work every day,” Abbott added. “I told him, ‘I’m extremely impressed with the way you’re going about your business. You’re looking like a big leaguer — like you want to be there.’ And the ball is coming out really well. He’s throwing hard. He’s commanding all his pitches. His changeup’s gotten a lot better. He’s trusting that as well. As of now, he’s showing signs of a really solid, strong, three-pitch mix. It’s pretty impressive.”
Groome still is young. He turned 22 on Sunday.
“I feel healthy and I’m just happy everything’s coming along,” Groome said. “The fastball command, I feel like I’ve done a very good job from where I felt like I was at in spring. I felt like I was still kind of getting my feet wet almost because I only threw like eight innings last year. ... But the fastball, it’s playing. I feel like it’s doing very well. I’m getting some good feedback from the coaches and some of the guys that are hitting against me.
“Curveball, that’s my go-to. I don’t really have too much to say about that. It’s just a matter of me perfecting that. And then the changeup is still a work in progress, but I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with that. I feel like it’s really starting to be that third, plus offering that I’ve been working for.”
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