Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano’s success these past three seasons has been impressive. Still, most do not know of him. Not only is he the team’s closer for the imminent future, he has also emerged as one of the more dominant closers in all of baseball.
Back with the Blue Jays Organization
Selected by the Blue Jays in the 2014 draft, the Ontario native was happy to be chosen by his home town team. After spending four years in the Blue Jays’ minor league system, the right-hander was left unprotected in the Rule 5 draft, in a surprise move, and was taken third overall in that draft by the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox immediately traded him to the Texas Rangers for cash considerations. After not making the Rangers’ Opening Day roster, Romano was returned to the Blue Jays, who were happy to have him back.
Once a Starter
Romano was a former starter in the minors, and was happy to convert to a reliever. He spent three seasons in MiLB, working his way up the minors and in the rotation. He started 66 games across those three campaigns, finally getting to Triple-A Buffalo. In the second half of 2019, however, he went to the bullpen, finishing the season with five saves.
The changeover from starter to closer has worked out well for both Romano and the Blue Jays. Most pitchers picture themselves as starters on their way to maybe someday being an ace. Romano, on the other hand, welcomed the high-leverage role being a closer. It was something that he was more than willing to try after struggling in the rotation as a minor leaguer.
Mix of Pitches
Jordan Romano brings a mix of pitches. His fastball regularly hits in the 92-94 mph range, and has reached as high 96 mph. His power slider gives him a second above-average pitch that gets many swings-and-misses, especially against right-handed hitters. He also has a curveball and a changeup. Those pitches are not as powerful as his fastball and slider, but both are effective against left-handed hitters.
As a Closer
Since 2021, Jordan Romano has 63 saves, including four saves through Sunday’s game. His ERA since 2021 is 2.13. Adam Cimber, Yimi Garcia, and Zach Pop have made it easier for Romano to be a successful closer by holding the lead, and providing that shut down seventh and eighth innings to get him to close out the game and get a Blue Jays win.
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Team is better
Jordan Romano has made the Blue Jays a better team with him as their closer. With a young core of Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and George Springer, and a very good rotation with Chris Bassitt and Alek Manoah leading the way. The team has also updated their bullpen depth, to go along with Romano as their closer. This puts them in a good position to hang around for another playoff spot in 2023. Jordan Romano has emerged as one of the top-tier closers in all of baseball right now. Even though it was a chaotic road for him to get to the position, he looks to be Blue Jays’ closer for years to come.
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