Tommy Romero

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #21 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: He’s not a prominent name, but there have been few more consistently successful minor league pitchers than Romero over the past five years. The Rays acquired Romero in May 2018 in a trade that sent Alex Colome and Denard Span to the Mariners. He’s never posted an ERA above 3.00 in any MiLB season.
  
  Scouting Report: When Romero was drafted, he rarely topped 92-93 mph. Now he can get to 95 mph. Maybe more importantly, his plus fastball has excellent carry. His extreme trunk tilt in his delivery leads to a straight-over-the-top delivery but with a low release point that gives him the flat vertical approach angle that helps a fastball play well at the top of the strike zone. He also has shown he can throw his slider, change and curve for strikes in any count. His average low-90s slider is his best secondary offering, but the change and curve are fringe-average as well. He’s one of the best strike-throwers in the minors (68.8% strikes in 2021) with plus-plus control. Because he avoids the heart of the plate, he limits hard contact.
  
  The Future: Romero can be a bulk-innings reliever or a back-of-the-rotation starter. Added to the 40-man, he should spend most of 2022 at Triple-A Durham, but he’ll move up and down as needed.
  
• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #26 prospect in 2018
  Romero played two years of junior college ball in Florida, first at Polk State JC and then Eastern Florida State JC. He went 9-4, 1.55 at the latter but was fairly anonymous when the Mariners drafted him in the 15th round in 2017. The burly righthander has put himself on the radar with an outstanding pro debut in the Rookie-level Arizona League, going 5-1, 2.08 with 51 strikeouts and just 15 walks in 43.1 innings. Romero stands out for his pitchability and fastball command, using a mechanically-sound delivery to pound the strike zone with downhill plane. He gets swings-and-misses with an average 88-92 mph fastball that has some cut to it, and a 74-77 mph curveball is his best secondary pitch. He also uses a 79-83 mph slider and an 80-83 mph changeup that are both below-average but play up off his fastball. There's not a lot of projection in Romero's body, but his pitching smarts should allow him to thrive in the lower levels of the system as he develops. Romero may be advanced enough to jump to full-season ball to start the 2018 season.

• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 40/Medium
  
  Track Record: He&#39s not a prominent name, but there have been few more consistently successful minor league pitchers than Romero over the past five years. The Rays acquired Romero in May 2018 in a trade that sent Alex Colome and Denard Span to the Mariners. He&#39s never posted an ERA above 3.00 in any MiLB season.
  
  Scouting Report: When Romero was drafted, he rarely topped 92-93 mph. Now he can get to 95 mph. Maybe more importantly, his plus fastball has excellent carry. His extreme trunk tilt in his delivery leads to a straight-over-the-top delivery but with a low release point that gives him the flat vertical approach angle that helps a fastball play well at the top of the strike zone. He also has shown he can throw his slider, change and curve for strikes in any count. His average low-90s slider is his best secondary offering, but the change and curve are fringe-average as well. He&#39s one of the best strike-throwers in the minors (68.8% strikes in 2021) with plus-plus control. Because he avoids the heart of the plate, he limits hard contact.
  
  The Future: Romero can be a bulk-innings reliever or a back-of-the-rotation starter. Added to the 40-man, he should spend most of 2022 at Triple-A Durham, but he&#39ll move up and down as needed.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: He’s not a prominent name, but there have been few more consistently successful minor league pitchers than Romero over the past five years. The Rays acquired Romero in May 2018 in a trade that sent Alex Colome and Denard Span to the Mariners. He’s never posted an ERA above 3.00 in any MiLB season.
  
  Scouting Report: When Romero was drafted, he rarely topped 92-93 mph. Now he can get to 95 mph. Maybe more importantly, his plus fastball has excellent carry. His extreme trunk tilt in his delivery leads to a straight-over-the-top delivery but with a low release point that gives him the flat vertical approach angle that helps a fastball play well at the top of the strike zone. He also has shown he can throw his slider, change and curve for strikes in any count. His average low-90s slider is his best secondary offering, but the change and curve are fringe-average as well. He’s one of the best strike-throwers in the minors (68.8% strikes in 2021) with plus-plus control. Because he avoids the heart of the plate, he limits hard contact.
  
  The Future: Romero can be a bulk-innings reliever or a back-of-the-rotation starter. Added to the 40-man, he should spend most of 2022 at Triple-A Durham, but he’ll move up and down as needed.