Jordan Romano started 28 games for the Class A Dunedin Blue Jays in 2017, going 7-5 with a 3.39 ERA. In 2018, he split his season between the AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats and the AAA Buffalo Bisons and had an even better year.
He went 12-8 with a 4.11 ERA in 26 starts, pitching 142 1/3 innings and striking out 128 batters.
However, following the season, the Blue Jays did not add him to their 40-man roster, and on December 13th, he was selected third overall in the 2018 Rule V Draft by the Chicago White Sox.
The Red Sox were acting on behalf of the Texas Rangers since they promptly traded Romano to them.
He was returned to the Blue Jays on March 23, 2019, after failing to make the team in spring training. He was back with Buffalo at the start of the season, and after 17 games, including three starts, he was 1-2, 6.10.
This would not ordinarily justify a promotion, but the Blue Jays were desperate for healthy arms in the major leagues, so he was brought up when Ken Giles went on the disabled list on June 12th.
On the same day, he made his MLB debut, tossing a scoreless inning in relief and striking out two batters in an 8-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
With an 8-2 lead, he relieved Edwin Jackson in the seventh inning and got Pedro Severino looking and Rio Ruiz swinging before Hanser Alberto grounded out.
Romano was relieved by fellow rookie Elvis Luciano. In 17 games, he went 0-2, 7.63, pitching 15 1/3 innings.
However, he began to concentrate on relief work in the minors, and as a result, he acquired some velocity, making him a much more intriguing prospect at the end of the season.
Is Jordan Romano Italian?
Jordan Romano is Italian on his Fathers side. He represented the Italian team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.