Coming into spring training 2018, there were two key names
on the mound when it came to up and coming Twins prospects. Stephen Gonsalves
and Fernando Romero were the guys to watch, and thus far, they’ve both been appointment
viewing. For Romero, the ceiling is that of a big league ace, and thus far he’s
done little to dispel that notion.
It’s hard to glean much from such an incredibly small sample
size, but the process is just as imperative as the results. First by the
numbers, Romero has appeared in three games pitching a total of five innings.
He’s tallied six strikeouts, given up zero hits, and has walked just one
batter. If that were stretched out over a considerable amount of any given
season, he’d be staring at the business end of a Cy Young award and some big
league records.
As it stands, the numbers are just a small flash in the pan
allowing Twins fans to dream of what could one day be. That being said, it was
his latest outing that might have been the most promising and indicative of the
ceiling those within the organization hope he reaches. Against the Phillies in
Clearwater on March 5, Romero worked the bottom of the 7th inning
facing Dylan Cozens, Roman Quinn, and Pedro Florimon (all big league bats). Starting
out at 94 mph with his fastball, he topped out at 96 mph on his 19th
offering of the inning. Striking out the trio swinging, Quinn and Florimon
flailed at sliders biting their heels after facing straight heat. The outing included 21 pitches, 15 of which
were strikes, 88 mph sliders, and 96 mph fastballs.
Over the course of those 21 pitches thrown to three Phillies
batters, Romero showed exactly why he’s viewed as a top of the rotation arm.
The velocity was there, the breaking pitches were devastating, the efficiency
in the zone was displayed, and a mound presence well beyond his years was
apparent. If every outing went like that one, Romero would find himself paired
with Jose Berrios as a one-two punch for Minnesota out of the gate in 2018.
When it comes to the greater picture, Romero’s deficiencies
lie where many like him find fault. Reaching Double-A Chattanooga for the first
time last season as a 22 year old, command issues returned for the first time
since his Tommy John surgery in 2014. Striking out 8.6 per nine across his
125.0 IP, he also allowed 3.2 BB/9. In 2016, his first season back from the
surgery, Romero had sat down hitters at a 9.0 K/9 clip and walked just 1.5 per
nine over 90.1 IP at two levels. If there’s an area of focus for the 2018
season, it will be in seeing how the free passes add up.
Looking back on his time as a pro, Romero has never been bit
hard by the home run bug, and he’s generally kept his H/9 numbers to a minimum.
As he continues to rise levels, potentially starting at Double-A Chattanooga to
open 2018, seeing refinement in some integral areas will be a consistent focus.
It’s in how the development with command and control shakes out that will
eventually determine if Romero can assume a spot at the top of the rotation, or
if he’s destined for a relief role.
At the end of spring training, it would be a virtual shock
to see Romero break the 25 man headed up to Minnesota. The Twins would most
likely prefer he break into the big leagues as a starter, and while he could
see time first in a relief role, that coming directly out of spring seems
incredibly unlikely. That being said, the clock has absolutely begun to tick,
and there will be knocks on the major league door sooner rather than later.
Outside of the player acquisitions this offseason, pitching
guru Derek Falvey has developed an infrastructure that should foster internal
development. Task number one will be unlocking the highest possible percentile
of Fernando Romero, and if achieved, could mean the Twins have the ace they’ve
been craving since the days of Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano.
