Jason Romano

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #24 prospect in 2003
  Drafted out of the same Hillsborough High program that produced Dwight Gooden, Gary Sheffield and Carl Everett, Romano was often compared to Craig Biggio during his first few years in the Rangers system. After being passed by second baseman Mike Young in Texas and moved to the outfield, he came to the Rockies last summer. The Dodgers like his potential as a utilityman and traded for him in January. His bat has tailed off since he left high Class A in 1999, and Romano has established a reputation as more of a scrappy, versatile player. Drafted as a third baseman, he was moved to second base after his first season but never refined his footwork there. He has shown dramatic improvement in the outfield, utilitzing his instincts and aggressiveness. He has a compact, line-drive stroke and a sparkplug mentality, though his extra-base power has been absent at the upper levels. Romano has plus speed and runs the bases well. He should get consideration for playing time at second base in Los Angeles, but more likely will settle in as a versatile option off the bench. He also could be a righthanded complement to Dave Roberts in center field.
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  Ranked Texas Rangers #15 prospect in 2002
  Michael Young shot past Romano in the Rangers' second-base plans last season, forcing Romano to change positions. With Young quickly establishing himself at second base in Texas, Romano was sent all the way back to the Gulf Coast League to learn center field. With his natural athletic ability and zeal for down-in-the-dirt work, he took to the position. He's an above-average runner with good baseball instincts. The drawbacks about making him a center fielder are his limited arm strength and pop. Romano went into an offensive funk when he began 2001 in Double-A. His average rose after the position switch and a promotion to Oklahoma, but he didn't show the line-drive, gap power that was prominent early in his career. His slugging percentage has dropped from .516 in high Class A in 1999 to .389 and .369 the last two years. With the Rangers trading for Carl Everett, Romano will have a hard time making the jump from Triple-A this year.
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  Ranked Texas Rangers #3 prospect in 2001
  Romano developed in the baseball hotbed of Tampa, where he attended Hillsborough High, the alma mater of Carl Everett, Dwight Gooden and Gary Sheffield. Some clubs had Romano ranked among the top 20 prospects for the 1997 draft, but he lasted until the 39th pick overall. His brother Jimmie, a catcher, signed with Texas as a 26th-round pick in 1998. Romano is a ballplayer in the best sense of the word. He's a dirt dog who loves to play and will do whatever it takes to win. Romano is a line-drive hitter with speed. He has shown pop in the past, though his slugging percentage dropped 127 points from 1999 to 2000. He can handle hitting at the top of the order, most often batting in the No. 2 spot last season. The Rangers switched Romano from third base to second after drafting him, and his defense needs work. His footwork can get tangled, and that contributed to his 24 errors in 125 games at second last season. The club has no doubt Romano will work to improve. Romano has stayed on schedule, advancing one level each season. How quickly he improves on defense will determine when he reaches the majors. The Rangers hope it's for the 2002 season.
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  Ranked Texas Rangers #5 prospect in 1999
  Background: Romano was the Rangers' 1997 compensation pick for losing Mike Stanton as a free agent. He was a Baseball America high school All-American at third base for one-time power Hillsborough High, but the Rangers switched him to second base before the 1998 season. Strengths: Compared to other second basemen, Romano has a chance to become above average at all five tools. He made a smooth defensive transition and showed above-average range and arm strength. Offensively, Romano has the speed and raw power potential to become a 30 stolen base, 15-20 home run player. Weaknesses: For the most part, Romano just needs to further develop the skills he has. He will need more repetitions at second base to smooth out his actions. His power probably will lag behind until he physically matures. The Future: Romano is one of the players who meets the Rangers demands for talent and character. The club feels he has an excellent chance to develop into an above average big league infielder.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Texas League #14 prospect in 2000
  A converted third baseman, Romano is settling in as a middle infielder. He’s clearly the Rangers’ second baseman of the future, and he could be their leadoff man as well. To bat at the top of the lineup, he’ll need to show more patience at the plate. He was too aggressive in Tulsa, not waiting for pitches he could handle. Romano’s power dipped after an impressive 1999 season in the FSL, but he does have the potential to hit 15-20 homers per season in Texas.
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  Ranked Florida State League #10 prospect in 1999
  Romano doesn't turn heads with tools as much as with desire and the results he produces. "He comes to play every day," Huppert said. "I like him a lot. He seems to be the total package. Day in and day out, he really makes the ballclub go." Romano ranked fifth in the league in batting and with a .516 slugging percentage, and continued to show plus speed with a league-leading 14 triples. "He can hit, has speed and knows how to play," Sarasota manager Butch Hobson said.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #68 prospect in 2000

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  A converted third baseman, Romano is settling in as a middle infielder. He’s clearly the Rangers’ second baseman of the future, and he could be their leadoff man as well. To bat at the top of the lineup, he’ll need to show more patience at the plate. He was too aggressive in Tulsa, not waiting for pitches he could handle. Romano’s power dipped after an impressive 1999 season in the FSL, but he does have the potential to hit 15-20 homers per season in Texas.