Minnesota Twins Top 10 Prospects For 2017
4. Fernando Romero, RHP
Birthdate: 12/24/94 (21 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: low A, high A
Stats in 2016: 90 1/3 IP, 1.89 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 4.35 BB%, 26.09 K%
In a year, we all may look foolish for having Romero so low after he really took a monster step forward as a pitcher in 2016.
Romero has struggled with injury over his career until he ended up having Tommy John surgery in 2014, which cost him the rest of 2014 and all of the 2015 season.
He was eased back onto the mound in 2016, which allowed him to get his feet under him. Adam Wainwright has talked about how velocity returns in the first year after TJS and command/control returns in the second year.
(Romero) was eased back onto the mound in 2016, which allowed him to get his feet under him
If that’s true, Romero could be in for walking no batters at all in 2017. He walked almost no one already in his first year back. To get better than that is a scary thought for hitters in the Southern League, where Romero will likely be sent to open 2017.
Romero’s fastball when healthy sits in the 93-95 range and can touch 98. He has two breaking pitches, one a sharp slider, the other more of a slurve pitch, intentionally thrown with the sloped break.
His feel for his change was highly noted in his return this year, as he got plenty of weak swings at the pitch, and one scout told me that it’s a “pure strikeout change up”.
Romero will be handled with some care to allow his arm to regain full health, but there is front line starter material if he’s fully healthy and able to stay such for a full season.
Next: #3