Wes Roemer
| IP | 709 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.278 |
| WHIP | 1.406 |
| BB/9 | 2.729 |
| SO/9 | 6.804 |
- Full name Wesley William Roemer
- Born 10/07/1986 in Los Angeles, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Cal State Fullerton
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Drafted in the C-A round (50th overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2007 (signed for $620,000).
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A preseason first-team All-American, Roemer had one of the best seasons in Cal State Fullerton history in 2006, leading the Titans to Omaha at 13-2, 2.38 in a national-high 155 innings. He stumbled out of the gates in 2007, thanks in part to a broken pinky finger, before rallying late to get his numbers (8-5, 2.97) back in line with past performance. Roemer's best weapon is his command. He had plunked 58 batters in his career, many of them on purpose, as he'd rather hit a batter than walk him (40 career walks). While he doesn't have true elite, put-it-in-a-cup command, he has well-above-average control and pounds the strike zone with his fastball, which was fringe-average early but touched 93 mph and sat at 88-91 later in the year. His slider is above-average for the college level and plays average with mid-70s velocity and some depth. He spots his changeup and throws it for strikes. Roemer's spunky attitude can turn some opponents and scouts off, and his average stuff doesn't leave much room for error. But Titans coaches credit him with competing hard and helping the team while pitching through the pinky injury.
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On the plus side, Roemer took every turn in the rotation in his first full season and finished with 163 innings, second in the California League to rotation-mate Barry Enright. On the other hand, he tied for the league lead with 12 losses and was alone at the top with 25 homers allowed. The Diamondbacks prefer to focus on the big picture, noting that Roemer was 21 and learning how to apply his stuff against professional hitters, as well as how to work through the aches and pains of a long pro season. He's a bulldog and has always been a strike-thrower, so now he needs to learn that it's about the quality of the strikes, not the quantity. He piled up strikeouts in college, when he was a first-team All-American as a sophomore, but he needs to be a sinker/slider guy for whom strikeouts are only a by-product, and must be more efficient with his pitches. Similarly, while he can touch the mid-90s if he puts everything into a fastball, he is best off dialing it down to around 90 with good sink. His slider can be a plus pitch, but he falls in love with it at times. His changeup still isn't ready for prime time. Roemer showed flashes of his ability last year, giving up three runs or fewer in 17 starts, so Arizona hopes he can apply his ability more consistently in Double-A this season. -
Roemer had an outstanding season at Cal State Fullerton in 2006, going 13-2, 2.38 as a sophomore. His stock slipped a bit after he went 11-7, 3.19 for the Titans in 2007, getting off to a slow start in part because of a broken pinky. Arizona still took him with the 50th overall pick and signed him for $620,000, then limited his innings after he pitched 144 during the spring. An aggressive, fearless pitcher, Roemer commands the ball effectively and never gives in to hitters. He allowed 44 walks in three college seasons, yet hit 62 batters. His fastball can touch 93 mph, but the Diamondbacks emphasized to him in instructional league that it's more effective when he throws it at 89 with sink. His slider can be a plus pitch. The Diamondbacks are working with Roemer on being more efficient with his pitches, working both sides of the plate and dialing down his stuff to get more grounders. They also want him to pitch more to contact. While he can command his changeup, it still needs work, as does his slider, which remains inconsistent. Roemer has a bit more stuff than polish right now, but if he refines his package he could be an effective back-end starter. He and Barry Enright should open the season together in the Visalia rotation.
