Phillies fans are already done with Jordan Romano after PTSD-inducing start

Jordan Romano has a 15.75 ERA, and opponents are hitting .353 against him early in the season.
Phillies veteran reliever Jordan Romano may be forced into low-leverage situations as he overcomes his early-season struggles
Phillies veteran reliever Jordan Romano may be forced into low-leverage situations as he overcomes his early-season struggles | Mitchell Leff/GettyImages

The Philadelphia Phillies are riding high after winning two out of three against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s only April, but the Phillies are 7-2 and look to have the makings of a championship-caliber team.

One of the Phillies’ top offseason acquisitions was signing veteran reliever Jordan Romano to a one-year, $8.5 million contract. The right-hander made two consecutive All-Star appearances with the Toronto Blue Jays from 2022 to 2023 and recorded 105 saves during his six seasons in “The Six.” 

Romano dealt with elbow injuries in 2024, eventually leading to season-ending surgery. He appeared in just 15 games, pitching 13 2/3 innings. Despite his injury-riddled season, the Phillies took a chance on him in hopes of getting the former late-inning All-Star reliever. Through his first five appearances with his new team, Romano has been a massive disappointment.

Jordan Romano's early-season struggles are giving Phillies fans PTSD

Romano made his first appearance with the Phillies on Opening Day against the Washington Nationals. He took the mound in the bottom of the eighth inning with a 3-1 lead. After allowing a walk and a hit-by-pitch to start the inning, the Nationals scored on an RBI ground out. Romano struck out the next batter before allowing a game-tying RBI single. His ERA was 18.00 to begin his Phillies career.

It wouldn’t be Philadelphia if the fans didn’t overreact after one game. The fans are passionate about their teams and expect a certain standard from the players, especially a player making $8.5 million.

Romano seemed to have redeemed himself after his next two appearances against the Colorado Rockies on March 31 and April 3. The 31-year-old pitched two scoreless innings, recording three strikeouts and allowing just two hits. His ERA in the young season dropped to 6.00.

Romano’s success and trust with the fans were short-lived. After seven scoreless innings of two-hit baseball by Jesús Luzardo and a scoreless eighth inning by Matt Strahm and José Ruiz during the series opener against the then-undefeated Dodgers, Romano entered in the ninth in a 3-0 game to try to close it out. He allowed two walks and a two-run home run before the game ended on a strike-’em-out, throw-’em-out double play. Romano recorded his first save with the Phillies.

As if things couldn’t get worse for Romano, he allowed two hits, one walk and three earned runs during the seventh inning of Sunday’s 8-7 win over the Dodgers. The struggling veteran was replaced by Orion Kerkering before recording an out.

This isn’t the first time in recent history that the Phillies took a chance on an aging reliever who had success previously in their careers, as The Good Phight reminded us on social media site X.

Most notably, the Phillies signed one of baseball’s greatest closers before the 2023 season. Despite an All-Star selection in his lone season with the Phillies, Craig Kimbrel left a lasting impact in the City of Brotherly Love.

Kimbrel had 23 saves in 28 opportunities with the Phillies. After a perfect 14-for-14 in save opportunities before the All-Star break, the future Hall of Famer had a 3-5 record with nine saves in 14 opportunities during the second half of the season. He was 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA and allowed six hits, five walks and a hit-by-pitch in six innings during the Phillies’ playoff run that ended one win short of a World Series appearance.

After allowing a game-winning RBI single in Game 3 during the NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Kimbrel took the mound the next day in Game 4 with a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. He allowed three hits, a hit-by-pitch and three earned runs in 2/3 innings. The Phillies lost 6-5, tying the series at two games apiece. 

Phillies fans are beginning to have PTSD with how Romano has pitched so far this season. There’s serious talk about moving him to low-leverage situations to correct his issues as the season progresses. Romano has a lot of work to do to win over Phillies fans, or his time with the team will be something to forget.

More Phillies News from That Ball's Outta Here

Schedule