Meet the newest member of the Red Sox Family, Jason Groome

Image from MLB.com

Ryan MacLeod (RyanMacLeod15)
Contributing Writer

The MLB First Years player draft is an exciting time for young baseball players and their families. It is a time where dreams that have been growing in their minds for anywhere between 18-22 years. Tonight the Red Sox made a dream true for one youngster, Jason Groome.

Groome, a 6 foot 6 left handed pitcher is only 17 years old and is about to graduate high school in New Jersey. Groome was once looked at as a prospect that could have gone #1 overall in the draft but a Senior year filled with controversy. The controversy started when he transfered back to New Jersey after spending his Junior year at IMG Academy in Florida. The New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association determined the transfer illegal and he was not able to play in the first half of his teams season.

Groome played in 4 games this season, and pitched his way to a 1-3 record that included a 19 strikeout, no hitter performance. When Groome was suspended his records were stripped and his stats no longer officially exist. He recently decommitted from Vanderbilt and decided that he would go to a Junior College in Florida if he can't sign a deal with a major league club.

Groome has proven that he has a good fastball, touching 97mph. Some major league scouts say that if everything works out for him he could resemble a fantastic starting pitcher similar to Madison Bumgardner.

With Groome being ranked as the #1 senior in this years draft it must have been a surprise for the Red Sox to have him fall all the way to their pick at #12, and that when he fell there they had to take a chance on him. Let's hope that the Red Sox front office wastes no time signing this kid and getting him into the Minor Leagues so that he can start to work his way to pitch in Fenway Park.

On and let me mention one more thing, even before being taken 12th overall tonight, the Boston Red Sox were Jason Groome's favorite team. Welcome to the organization kid, now lets sign a deal and get to work.