On a cold and windy late-April morning, Barnegat High School pitcher Jason Groome made his first start in nearly three weeks. Behind home plate, officials placed orange cones to reserve room for more than 25 major league scouts and executives. Those men held radar guns and took notes.
They had all come to this small New Jersey town near the Atlantic Ocean to watch Groome, a 6’5” left-hander, who today may become only the fourth high school pitcher selected as the top overall pick since the Major League Baseball draft began in 1965.
They were curious to see how Groome would perform after being declared ineligible to play—a controversial decision that received national attention. His name showed up on ESPN’s news ticket and on websites, as well as in newspapers across the country, all for a misunderstanding about his eligibility that most observers thought was unfair.
Groome spent the second semester of his junior year at IMG Academy, a nationally renowned athletic boarding school in Florida. Although he developed his skills there and added 15 pounds of muscle, he missed his family and friends and decided to spend his senior year at home.
Everything was turning out the way he envisioned until New Jersey state high school officials declared on April 14 that Groome had made an illegal transfer back to Barnegat, where he had played as a freshman and sophomore.
The decision was handed down because Groome’s family never changed residences or moved while he was in Florida. According to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, if students who transfer do not have a “bona fide change of residence as defined by NJSIAA rules,” they must sit out 30 days or half of their team’s games.
Barnegat was forced to forfeit the two games in which Groome had pitched, one of which was a no-hitter, and he couldn’t return until the school had played half of its games.
During his time off, Groome threw simulated games against his teammates. On April 30, he finally had a chance to compete again. He wasn’t at his best, but he was still impressive. With Philadelphia Phillies executive Joe Jordan in attendance, Groome threw a complete-game, two-hit shutout, walking three and striking out 13 in a 2-0 Barnegat victory.
In that game, Groome, who doesn’t turn 18 until Aug. 23, showed off his mid-90s fastball, changeup and a curveball that routinely surprises hitters. He also displayed an effortless delivery that reminds a former coach of San Francisco Giants starter Madison Bumgarner—a three-time All-Star and 2014 World Series Most Valuable Player.
Afterward, when asked what the past couple of weeks had been like for him, Groome said, “It’s something I’m not really gonna discuss right now. Sorry.”
Groome was polite but made it clear he had moved on from the suspension. When the interviews ended, he spoke with some friends and fans, all of whom were wishing he would end up with the Phillies. The franchise has the top pick in the draft, and Groome’s high school field is just 60 miles from Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies play.
Groome then walked away from the field with his parents and Jeff Randazzo, an agent and former minor league pitcher who is serving as his adviser. He was with the two people who raised him and the man who will help him navigate his professional future.
For the next few weeks, though, Groome hoped he could be just a regular kid enjoying the final days of his high school career—or at least as regular as possible for someone who could soon be a multimillionaire and a building block for a major league franchise’s future.
“I really don’t like to go out and say I’m the No. 1 prospect,” Groome said. “I let it speak for itself. I’m not the type of kid that’ll just go somewhere and be like, ‘Oh, I’m Jason Groome.’ I just let ‘em all find out for themselves.”
People have marveled at Groome’s talent from the first time they saw him pitch. His parents, Jay and Danielle, knew he was dominant. But they had no idea how special he was.
When Groome played for the South Jersey Young Guns travel team as a 12-year-old, coach Pat Fisher met with Jay Groome. The elder Groome had worked with his son since he started playing as a four-year-old in a tee-ball league in nearby Waretown, New Jersey.
After Groome pitched in Little League games, he and his father would go to a local park and spend more time on his delivery and pitches. They didn’t think too far into the future. They simply loved baseball and being together.
“I was just like, ‘I don’t think you realize how good your son is,’” Fisher said. “That was the one thing about Jason. He was very humble…I was just like, ‘You have literally a million-dollar arm.’ It was just amazing to see his hand speed as a pitcher at such a young age. He had whip in his arm. I’m like, ‘This kid is a natural.’”
Fisher remembers Jay Groome pushing his son when necessary, telling him to never be satisfied while making sure he still enjoyed the game. He allowed Fisher and the Young Guns’ other coaches to provide advice and guidance, too.
“He was not one of those dads that you typically hear [about] from time to time that are horror stories,” Fisher said. “Mr. Groome was trusting. And sometimes that’s a lost art these days.”
By summer 2014, Groome wanted to test himself on a national level, so he joined the Tri-State Arsenal, a New Jersey-based program whose alumni include Angels outfielder Mike Trout, A’s pitcher Sean Doolittle and several others with major league experience. Arsenal coach Todd Rizzo, a former professional pitcher, had heard good things about Groome from his colleagues.
Still, Rizzo was skeptical. People were always telling him about some top prospect. Most didn’t live up to the hype. Groome was the exception. He was even better than advertised. Soon, Rizzo received calls from college coaches and professional scouts asking about him.
“I said, ‘He’s the best I’ve ever seen.’” Rizzo said. “They’re like, ‘You mean he’s really good?’ I said, ‘No. He’s the best pitcher I’ve ever seen.’ You almost feel really dumb. And then people would come see him pitch, and they’re like, ‘Oh, my God.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I told you. You guys know me. I’m a straight shooter.’”
Groome’s national profile rose in August 2014 when he led the Arsenal to a 9-1 victory over a team from Houston to capture the Perfect Game 15-and-under title at the Boston Red Sox’s spring training facility in Fort Myers, Florida. It was a special moment for Groome, who grew up a Red Sox fan and idolized Dustin Pedroia, the team’s second baseman.
Around that time, two of Groome’s Arsenal teammates (outfielder Steve Kalayjian and catcher Austin Bates) decided to enroll at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The IMG staff asked Groome if he wanted to come, too. They even offered a full scholarship to the boarding school, which costs more than $60,000 per year.
After saying no a few times, Groome relented. He moved to Florida in January 2015, two months after he verbally committed to play college baseball at Vanderbilt. That non-binding commitment was a fallback option in case he didn‘t go as high as anticipated in the major league draft.
Groome roomed with Kalayjian and Bates and soon realized he was a long way from Barnegat. On a typical day, the players ate breakfast around 7 a.m. Classes ran from 7:45 a.m. through 12:30 p.m. They then had lunch and headed to the baseball field by 1:15 p.m. for practice.
From 4 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., they worked on their strength and conditioning or attended sessions on topics such as leadership, nutrition and how to deal with the media. They ate dinner at 6 p.m. and were required to attend study hall from 7:30 p.m. until 9 p.m.
“It’s not your conventional high school,” said Dan Simonds, the director of IMG Academy’s baseball program and a former minor league catcher and college coach. “It really, really isn’t. It’s your academics [first] and then your baseball and your training are a very close second. These kids definitely have a social life, but it’s just not a normal high school.”
As soon as Groome committed to IMG, Simonds, head coach Chris Sabo and pitching coordinator Steve Frey devised a plan for him. Sabo was the 1988 National League Rookie of the Year and a three-time All-Star with the Reds, and Frey pitched for parts of eight major league seasons.
They understood the wear and tear baseball can have on the body and wanted to prepare Groome for a professional career. They had him on a strict pitch count, limited the number of times he threw in the bullpen between starts and made sure he didn’t overextend his arm.
IMG played a full schedule against other high schools in Florida. Still, winning wasn’t the only concern. Simonds remembers Groome was taken out of a game when he was throwing a no-hitter because he had already reached his pitch limit. Groome threw 43 innings his junior season, finishing with a 5-0 record, 81 strikeouts, nine walks and a 1.22 ERA.
“He really busted his tail,” Simonds said. “He took advantage of everything that was offered to him here at IMG. As a result, I think he made a pretty significant jump in his development. Listen, he was good to begin with. Don’t get me wrong. But I think that whole part of not just relying on your stuff, but more of how to work hitters, how to change speeds, taking a professional approach to getting a hitter out, I think Jason really benefited with getting that information.”
Although Groome had success on the field and in the classroom, as well as the weight room, Simonds knew he was homesick. Danielle Groome flew to Florida and watched her son pitch a few times. Still, it wasn’t the same for Groome as being back in Barnegat with his parents, two older sisters and three-year-old twin brothers. He called Simonds in late June and told him he wasn’t returning to IMG.
“Me and my dad were talking about it for quite a while,” Groome said. “We just figured it was the best move to come back so I could play with my friends, compete for a state championship and just live it all up for my senior year.”
A standing-room-only crowd of 6,005 fans packed Campbell’s Field in Camden, New Jersey, on May 16 for a matchup of the state’s two best high school pitchers. Even Groome couldn’t believe how many people had come to see him face Gloucester Catholic High School and its ace, Tyler Mondile, a Florida State commit. Groome and Mondile share the same adviser (agent Jeff Randazzo) and train at the facility Randazzo owns in suburban Philadelphia.
On this night, Mondile came out ahead, throwing a three-hit, complete-game shutout and leading Gloucester Catholic to a 1-0 victory. Still, Groome wasn’t to blame for his team’s defeat. He allowed two hits, walked two, gave up an unearned run and struck out 14 batters, including the final eight hitters he faced. Groome, who bounced back after allowing four earned runs in four and two-third innings in his previous start, also had a hit off Mondile.
After shaking hands with the Gloucester Catholic team, Groome headed to the dugout and hugged Stephen Kalayjian—the father of one of his former IMG Academy and Tri-State Arsenal teammates. Kalayjian had driven three-and-a-half hours from New York to watch Groome pitch in person before his high school career ended.
“The thing I’m really proud of him [for] most is how he stayed the course,” Kalayjian said. “He really set his mind to be the best. A lot of kids can go off track. He stayed on course, developed, got stronger, bigger and wanted to fulfill his dreams. That’s the most important thing.”
Despite the loss, Groome remained the center of attention. He could barely move without bumping into someone. Nearly 50 children surrounded Groome as he stared into the television cameras and answered questions from more than a dozen media members. He said it was the biggest crowd of any of his previous games, including last August’s Perfect Game All-American Classic at San Diego’s Petco Park, where the Padres play.
When he finished answering questions, Groome signed autographs for the kids. He also posed for photographs and selfies. The crowd was just happy to be in his presence.
“Can I get a handshake?,” one boy asked.
It was an experience Groome wouldn’t have had if he had stayed at IMG Academy. And even though he again refused to discuss his suspension from earlier in the season, he expressed no regrets about returning home.
“I definitely made the right decision coming back,” Groome said. “I love playing with all my friends I grew up with. I’m just loving it. It’s great.”
After a season-ending loss 10 days later, in which Groome allowed only one unearned run and struck out 12 in six innings, he was set to begin a series of meetings with major league teams, starting with the Cleveland Indians, who have the 14th pick in the draft, followed by the Colorado Rockies (fourth pick) and the San Diego Padres (eighth pick).
Groome said he was keeping his options open in case he wasn’t drafted as high as he would have liked or didn’t receive the signing bonus he wanted.
“I just want to go somewhere where I’m gonna be protected and feel comfortable, but if it doesn’t work out, it’s a win-win,” Groome said. “I get to go to Vanderbilt for three years and hopefully win the College World Series. But overall, I’m just excited for what my future holds.”
But three days before the draft, Groome changed his mind, decommitting from Vanderbilt. If the major league franchise that selects him doesn’t meet Groome’s contract demands, he plans on playing next year at Chipola College, a Florida junior college.
Chipola College coach Jeff Johnson said he received a call on Monday from Groome telling him he wanted to play at the school instead of at Vanderbilt if he chooses to pitch in college. By participating in junior college, Groome can re-enter the draft next June.
“Guys like [Groome] don’t call every day,” Johnson said. “It was a big call for us to have a chance to get someone of his stature in here to pitch for us. We’ll see how everything goes…If somehow he drops [in the draft], I think he’s willing to go to school for a year to see what happens after another year.”
For all of Groome’s accomplishments and potential, his slot in the draft remains uncertain. Recent reports suggest the Phillies are still not sure who they will select with the top pick. History may work against him. None of the three previous high school pitchers selected first overall (David Clyde in 1973, Brien Taylor in 1991 and Brady Aiken in 2014) lived up to expectations.
Clyde made his major league debut in a sold-out stadium less than a month after his final high school game, but he suffered arm injuries, pitched in only 84 games over five seasons and was out of the major leagues before he turned 25 years old.
Taylor, who was projected as the Yankees’ next great starter, suffered a major shoulder injury during a fight in 1993 and never even pitched above Double-A. He was out of the game before he turned 29.
Aiken couldn’t agree to contract terms with the Astros when the franchise selected him two years ago, so he enrolled at IMG Academy, where he pitched last year for the post-graduate team before undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2015. Three months later, he signed with the Indians, who drafted him with the 17th overall pick in last year’s draft. Aiken is now in the Indians’ extended spring training camp and still hasn’t pitched in a professional game.
Groome and his coaches and advisers are well aware of the potential injury concerns that all pitchers face. They are careful to make sure he doesn’t overextend himself, and they remind him to take care of his arm. Rizzo, his former coach with the Tri-State Arsenal, said Groome’s nearly flawless delivery reminds him of Bumgarner, the Giants’ ace. He also understands the reality of pitching.
“Let’s be truthful,” said Rizzo, who pitched in 421 games over nine minor league seasons and 12 major league games with the White Sox in 1998 and 1999. “No matter how good or how bad your mechanics are, pitching is one of the worst things in the world for your body all the way around. It’s just bad for you. Your arm isn’t supposed to go over the top. It’s supposed to come underneath. Even as stress-free as your mechanics are, obviously you’re still putting a lot of stress on your body.”
Still, despite the risk of taking a high school pitcher early in the draft, a few have more than exceeded expectations. Clayton Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner and one of baseball’s best pitchers, was selected seventh overall in the 2006 draft out of Highland Park High School in Texas. A year later, the Giants chose Bumgarner with the 10th pick in the draft out of South Caldwell High School in North Carolina.
Philadelphia sports fans are dreaming Groome can be their Kershaw or Bumgarner. If the Phillies draft Groome, he would join two other highly touted prospects on the city’s pro teams’ rosters. The Eagles drafted quarterback Carson Wentz with the second overall pick in April’s NFL draft. And later this month, the 76ers have the top pick in the NBA draft. Groome would love to join that select group.
“It would be pretty awesome,” Groome said. “I’m pretty much a hometown kid. I used to go [to Citizens Bank Park] all the time for games. It would just be a dream come true [to be selected first overall]. That would just mean that all the hard work paid off.”
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com