Kansas Jayhawks Battery Signs With Boston Red Sox
With every battery, there is a positive charge and a negative charge.
For the Kansas Jayhawks, they’re on the negative end. The Boston Red Sox signed catcher Jaxx Groshans and right hand pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn, thus drawing the positive charge from the battery.
This electrifying duo saw both juniors drafted in the top five rounds of the MLB First-Year Player Draft. Zeferjahn signed for $500,000. That is actually $43,500 lower than what MLB set its pick value for. Zeferjahn was taken 107th overall in the third round. In three years, Zeferjahn lowered his ERA from 6.19 to 3.97. He struck out 260 batters over the course of his three-year collegiate career. During his junior season, opponents were held under the Mendoza Line with a .193 average. Zeferjahn signed with Boston on June 12 and was assigned to Short Season-A affiliate Lowell the following day.
Slugger Jaxx Groshans is joining Zeferjahn in Lowell. In fact, the Magnolia, Texas product has already played in a game. He finished 0-for-3 against Brooklyn June 18. Groshans was a spark offensively for the Jayhawks, batting .340 with 12 home runs this season. The Red Sox took him 167th overall in the fifth round. He signed for exactly the MLB set pick value of $304,200. Groshans drew 55 walks his junior year. He nearly doubled the total amount of runs scored from 26 to 49 from his sophomore to his junior season. If he doesn’t make it to the big leagues as a catcher, he could very well become a designated hitter. Prior to arriving in Lawrence, Groshans and his brother were committed to the Texas Longhorns. Jaxx even signed with Texas before head coach Augie Garrido ultimately retired and David Pierce was hired. His younger brother, Jordan, switched his commitment to Kansas as a result. Despite this, the Blue Jays took Jordan 12th overall in the 2018 MLB First-Year Player Draft and he signed. Jordan started off in the Gulf Coast League at the Rookie League level. He is now in Class A with the Lansing Lugnuts.
In 2016, Zeferjahn was drafted in the 37th round by the Tampa Bay Rays.
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