LOWELL, Mass. — Jason Groome made his professional debut two weeks ago. The next day he turned 18.

At this rate Groome will pitch for the Sea Dogs as a teenager.

Jason Groome, who was drafted 12th overall this year by the Boston Red Sox, already is making an impression, striking out 10 in 6 innings for the Lowell Spinners in the New York-Penn League.

And in Boston by … well, that’s getting ahead of ourselves. But there is excitement in the Red Sox organization, which has struggled to develop starting pitchers.

Groome, 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, has that ace-in-the-making label. He’s a first-round draft pick, 12th overall, complete with a $3.65 million signing bonus. But he’s still just a kid.

“He’s young and has a lot to learn,” said catcher Nick Sciortino, a 17th-round draft pick this year out of Boston College, and now Groome’s teammate on the Lowell Spinners.

“But he fits in. And stuff-wise … he’s as good as anybody.”

Sciortino has caught more experienced pitchers – first at BC, then with Lowell, a minor league stop usually for college players right out of the draft, or players from the Gulf Coast League in Florida.

Groome pitched two games in the GCL before joining Lowell last week, becoming the youngest player by two years.

“He was poised out there on the mound,” Sciortino said. “He went out there and looked like he had done it before.

“He threw all his stuff with confidence and all of his stuff is good. His fastball has life. His curveball has a sharp tilt to it. And he backs up with a good change-up. He’s a pitcher.”

The last comment is telling. Groome isn’t some high school kid with a golden arm who has to learn how to pitch. He throws a fastball in the 92-95 mph range and usually commands it.

“I’ve seen Groome pitch twice,” said Ben Crockett, the Red Sox director of player development. “Impressive stuff with a three-pitch mix; minimal effort with a good delivery.”

Groome was once considered the best pitching prospect in the draft. As the day neared, he dropped in some projections to sixth … then as low as 14th.

“It mainly came down to sign-ability. I guess I was asking for too much,” Groome said.

Drafting high school pitchers early is risky. The Red Sox gambled in 2013, drafting high school pitcher Trey Ball seventh overall ($2.75 million bonus). Ball pitched in Class A Greenville in 2014 and has stalled in advanced Class A Salem.

Groome appears more polished. His agent, Jeff Randazzo, saw that and reportedly was asking for at least $4 million.

Plus, Groome gave up his scholarship to Vanderbilt and committed to Chipola Community College in Florida – which would allow him to be eligible for the draft again in 2017 – in case he turned down a team’s offer after the 2016 draft. Suddenly Groome became a risk.

Anytime a player begins to drop in the draft there are also whispers of character issues. And it didn’t help that Groome missed half his senior season at Barnegat, New Jersey, because he was ruled ineligible after transferring in.

Groome pitched for Barnegat as a sophomore, then moved to Florida to attend the IMG Academy for prestigious athletes. He returned for his senior year.

“I missed my buddies and I missed my family a ton,” Groome said.

The Red Sox weren’t scared away. They drafted Groome and signed him for $3.65 million.

“Good makeup, good kid,” said Lowell Manager (and former Sea Dogs infielder) Iggy Suarez.

“He’s a big and strong. Easy delivery. Comes out of his hand pretty good. From the three innings I saw (in his Lowell opener), you see a glimpse of what the hype is all about.”

In three games, Groome has pitched 62/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits, walking four and striking out 10.

He will pitch Thursday for Lowell in the second game of the New York-Penn League playoffs. Then he’ll head to the Red Sox instructional league in Florida and seems likely to start 2017 in Greenville. Then Salem.

Maybe Portland by 2018?

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