New Jersey Draft Preview
June 2, 2016
By T.J. Hunt and Nathan Rode
The 2016 Major League Draft takes place June 9-11. In advance of the draft, Prep Baseball Report is posting a summary of each state in the coverage area with scouting reports on the top high school draft prospects.
Northeast high school prospects produce a lot of intrigue in the draft and many of them hail from the state of New Jersey. The state has seen its share of high profile picks, including Mike Trout, Rick Porcello and Rob Kaminsky. This year’s class boasts the top high school prosect in the country in LHP Jason Groome (Barnegat HS, NJ), who returned to his hometown after a year at IMG Academy, FL. After Groome, there is a string of prospects that could get popped in the top 10 rounds or find themselves contributing at major Division I college programs for three years.
1. Jason Groome, LHP, Barnegat HS, NJ
Groome has been the top prospect in the country since last summer and deservedly so. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Vanderbilt recruit can reach 96-97 mph and sit in the low 90s. His breaking ball is the best in the class, sitting in the high 70s with sharp, 1/7 break and depth.