Jay Groome has faced some curveballs since he was drafted 5 years ago. But the Red Sox remain hopeful.

Anxiety hung in the air of Jay Groome’s living room. It was July 2016, and the then-17-year-old paced relentlessly at his childhood home in Barnegat Township, N.J., surrounded by family and friends.

It was Day One of the Major League Baseball draft, and the 6-foot-6 left-hander with a thunderbolt arm that threw 96 mph knew he’d be selected in the first round. A roar exploded in the living room, deafening applause and cheers drowned out the announcer on TV. To his surprise, Groome had been selected by the Boston Red Sox, his favorite team, with the No. 12 overall pick.

“Honestly, I had no idea that the Red Sox were even going to pick me,” Groome said. “They didn’t call me before the draft or anything.”

Five years later, Groome, now 22, sits on a haggard sofa in a steamy locker room in Greenville, S.C. Instead of hurling baseballs against big leaguers in Fenway Park every fifth day, Groome is plying his trade for the Greenville Drive, the high-A minor league affiliate of the Red Sox.

“When I first got here [to Greenville], I was 18, a little kid,” Groome said. “Our bodies take a beating, so I had to develop a routine that worked for me.”

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After signing with the Red Sox for a $3.65 million bonus in 2016, Groome has bounced around the lower levels of the minor leagues, posting a 3-15 record with a 5.17 ERA in 32 career starts.

Yet Groome still is ranked as the No. 7 overall prospect in the Red Sox system.

“Groome has been in this organization for quite some time now,” said Iggy Suarez, manager of the Greenville Drive. “We’ve all seen him as a young pup and witnessed him mature into somewhat of a grown-up now.”

Groome’s struggles can be attributed in some part to a handful of setbacks on and off the field. In July 2017, shortly after he started his professional career, Groome’s father, Jason, was arrested and charged with multiple drug counts and sentenced to 35 months in prison.

Not even a year later, Groome, then 19, underwent Tommy John surgery.

“The biggest thing I took from [Tommy John surgery] is to take life a day at a time,” Groome said. “It’s so easy to look ahead when a setback happens, and you begin to feel down on yourself.”

Groome didn’t pitch in 2018 and threw just four innings for the low-A Lowell Spinners in 2019. His recovery, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the cancellation of the 2020 minor-league season, lasted nearly three years.

“The hardest part was staying mentally focused. I kept getting injured and thinking, ‘Maybe this isn’t for me,’” Groome said. “These past two years after rehab, it’s almost like I have found myself again.”

The confidence in Groome’s abilities was established early by Groome’s father, who quickly realized his son was already more advanced than many players in South Jersey.

“My Dad pretty much coached me into what I am now,” Groome said. “Ever since I was 8 years old, I was playing with the older kids.”

As the 2021 MLB First-Year Player Draft approaches — the first round is Sunday night — Groome’s journey is also a story of “what if’s.” In the weeks leading up to the 2016 MLB Draft, some sportswriters and scouts believed the Phillies might select the former Barnegat High School star with the first overall pick.

The pairing would have made sense. A local kid with a rocket arm. Groome even worked out with the Phillies and met many of the front office staff.

”The [Phillies] area scout and I had a really good bond,” Groome said. “But I just wanted to play professional baseball, so I really didn’t care where I ended up.”

The hometown hero scenario didn’t come to fruition as the Phillies selected outfielder Mickey Moniak. But Groome’s commanding presence, coupled with his ability to pound the strike zone, was too impressive for the Red Sox to pass up, according to one scouting report.

“I would project him as a back-end starter for the Red Sox, probably debuting in the next few years,” said one MLB scout, who predicted Groome to be a middle-innings relief pitcher. “He has the tenacity and the drive to make it. It’s just about getting it all together for him physically.”

The scout added that Groome has improved his secondary pitches, the curveball and changeup. But his fastball is what separates him from other left-handed pitching prospects. He added that, though Groome has experienced his share of setbacks, he’d technically be a college senior now had he gone to school. So time has been Groome’s ally.

“I’ve put in the work, dealing with all the cards that were dealt to me,” Groome said. “It’s been a rough five years, but I am healthy and taking advantage of playing every day.”

Groome’s ultimate goal is to pitch in the major leagues, and he could get that chance. Lefties who throw 96 and are former No. 1 picks can shoot through the system quickly, especially if they are viewed as a reliever. Also, the fact that Groome is in his fifth year will force the Red Sox to take a hard look at what they have in him. Perhaps that might mean a September call-up.

Now, he knows his task is to dominate the opposing South Atlantic League hitters before making any plans for Boston.

“He’s always had the stuff. It was just a matter of getting back healthy” Suarez said. “He’s pretty close to being ‘the guy’ now, and it’s exciting.”

» READ MORE: Phillies scouting director Brian Barber sees plenty of high school talent and college pitching in the MLB draft

In December 2020, Groome married his high school sweetheart, Amanda Muller. They’re expecting their first child, a girl, later this month.

“It’s nice knowing that I am going to be a dad and that I have something else to live for now,” Groome said. “I can’t wait to have my wife holding her, [both] watching me play.”