Blue Jays: An Interview with Jordan Groshans

Lee: Let’s move away from the draft now and talk a little bit about 2018. Obviously, you moved straight from high school to pro ball. What were the biggest differences between your life in high school and your life as a professional and did you face any challenges during your transition like fatigue or adapting to better pitching?

Groshans: The biggest difference and the hardest thing I would say is it’s an everyday grind. In high school, you play twice a week and you still have practices but in pro ball, you practice everyday in the mornings and then you go and play games so just the biggest difference is you go from playing two games a week to six.

That’s something that was definitely a big jump for me, and it was hard. I got fatigued a lot at first because my body wasn’t used to obviously playing everyday, but also playing in the Florida heat. It was hard on the body. I remember when I got drafted, I came in at 205 and I left the GCL my first year at 190 pounds. I was doing good workouts, I was eating right, taking care of my body but you have to go out there and triple your intake because of all the work you’re doing. It was a big adjustment but if you want to be a big leaguer, if you want to be great, it’s something that you have to go through.

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Lee: Last year, you had a really good start in Lansing and then, unfortunately, you got injured. How did the injury affect you mentally and how did you stay positive during the long rehab process?

Groshans: It was tough. I was up there with a good group of guys, great coaching staff. It obviously hurt a little bit mentally because I was in great condition. I was feeling great, and obviously that happened. It was hard. The biggest thing was coming to rehab everyday and doing my stuff and watching people I played with get moved up and go further along in their careers and I’m sitting there like, “man, I got to deal with this injury.”

But me and my dad, my mom, and my brother talked a lot and the biggest thing was getting my relationship right with God. That was something that really helped me pull through and stay strong, stay positive and to this day, I still pray that I keep my faith and have a healthy 2020. It was definitely hard at first but now with my family behind me, the staff behind me, it’s easy to go in and have a positive day so I’m grateful for that.

The biggest thing was coming to rehab everyday and doing my stuff and watching people I played with get moved up and go further along in their careers and I’m sitting there like, “man, I got to deal with this injury.”

Lee: The good news is that the rehab process is basically over, and I know you’ve posted a lot of stuff on Twitter about your excitement for this upcoming season. Have you been working on anything in particular this offseason? Any holes in your game that you’ve tried to address?

Groshans: Mostly just focusing on staying consistently healthy. I was off to a really good start offensively last year and that’s something I take pride in. It’s something I’m really trying to hammer down on now – just picking up right back where I left off. But also, defensively, that’s something that I’ve always been really good at. Once I got to pro ball, I hit a little bit of a struggle at first so I’ve really been working and grinding everyday with the coaches on staying consistent and being the best player I can be. Because at the end of the day, no matter where they put me, the goal is to be the best player I can be and the best teammate moving forward.

After talking about his time as a professional, we then moved on to discuss hitting philosophy, defensive outlook, and the Blue Jays’ efforts to improve minor league pay.

Lee: I want to talk about your hitting philosophy. Recently, everyone in baseball is talking about launch angle, exit velocity, an efficient swing path. My first question would be, how much do you pay attention to that kind of stuff and then to follow up, can you tell me a little bit about your hitting philosophy in general?

Groshans: It all started with me and my dad. We’re best friends, we have a great relationship, and he’s my hitting coach. He built my swing from the ground up and he got me to where I am today as a player and a person. [In terms of the new data], I try not to pay too much attention because I know a lot of guys nowadays, they want to change their swings and change their approaches to meet those numbers.

The way I view it is, when I step in the batter’s box, the last thing I’m worried about is, “I’m going to hit this slider at a 30-degree launch angle.” I’m not worried about that. My goal is every time I step up to the plate, to absolutely just barrel the ball. And that’s another reason why I think I’ve been successful – just sticking to the approach. Not trying to do too much and not trying to hit a certain exit velocity when I go to the plate because at the end of the day, the pitcher is supplying the power. If your swing is there, your rhythm’s there, the numbers are going to be there anyway. That’s my outlook on hitting. I know a lot of people don’t like that but at the end of the day, that’s who I am and that’s who I’m going to be.

Lee: Obviously, you’re an incredibly talented hitter but there are questions about your defensive side of the game in terms of your future position. I know you’ve played a little shortstop and a little third base but where do you see yourself playing in the infield for your future?

Groshans: I love being a shortstop. I’ve been playing there ever since I was playing baseball. That’s a position that I love and a position that I feel like I’m really good at. But at the end of the day, whatever the organization needs, whatever they want me to be, that’s what I’m going to be. Right now, the only thing I can say on that is wherever they put me, I’m just trying to be the best defender I can be, whether that’s short or third. That’s something that I’ve really been working at – just being more consistent on the defensive side of the game.

Lee: My next question is a little off-topic. The Blue Jays were the first team to raise the pay of their minor league players by more than 50%. When you heard that news, how much did you and your teammates appreciate that effort and how much of a difference is it going to make in your lives?

We had some teammates go to tears over it because that helps their living situation. They’re going from six guys in a three-bedroom apartment to two guys in a two-bedroom apartment.

Groshans: It’s a big thing. I know a bunch of people are finally standing up about the minor league pay and what we have to go through. It’s a big deal for us. A lot of guys that didn’t make as much money as some of us [in the draft], it’s tough on them. They go home in the offseason and they have to work 9-to-5 jobs. They Uber, they do whatever they can to make that extra money for the season and I think what the Blue Jays did was a huge step forward in minor league baseball. We had some teammates go to tears over it because that helps their living situation. They’re going from six guys in a three-bedroom apartment to two guys in a two-bedroom apartment. So, we’re very grateful about it, very appreciative to the Blue Jays.

I then ended off the interview by asking some lighter questions that would help Blue Jays fans get to know more about Jordan Groshans.

Lee: I’d like to end off the interview with a few questions that show Blue Jays fans more about Jordan Groshans the person, rather than Jordan Groshans the baseball player. I know you’re a big Fortnite, Call of Duty guy. Are there any other cool hobbies or passions other than baseball that you have?

Groshans: I would say playing Call of Duty and golfing are definitely my two favourites. I’m also a big movie guy. Me and my grandmother, we go to movies all the time – that’s kind of our thing. I’ve seen every movie out, still working on a few, but those are things I like to do because you play a lot of baseball games in a year and your mind needs a break. You need to get away from the game sometimes and give yourself that kind of mental relief so those things to me are a great help.

Lee: Do you have a favourite baseball player or player that you’ve modeled your game around?

Groshans: So, I have a favorite player – Francisco Lindor. He’s a leader on and off the field. I really like that guy, really like how he plays the game and how he handles himself. I actually don’t model my game off of anybody. I think that I’m a unique player. I don’t want to be like Mike Trout, I want to be the next Mike Trout. I want to be that type of player and that’s how I’ve always been. I’ve tried to be my own person and that’s something I take great pride in.

Lee: And finally, is there a fun fact about Jordan Groshans that Blue Jays fans should know?

Groshans: That’s a good one. I’m actually very good at juggling. People don’t know that but when I was in middle school and in high school, I used to practice a lot. I used to be able to do six baseballs at a time. I haven’t done it in a while, so I don’t know if I can do it anymore but I used to be really good at it. I don’t know why. It was just something I did in my room when I was bored. If I couldn’t play video games or if I was tired, I was like, “Hey, why not try this?” So that’s something I’m really good at.

On behalf of Jays Journal, I’d like to thank Jordan Groshans for taking the time to interview. Make sure to follow Jordan on Twitter @groshansj10!