The Philadelphia Phillies made minimal roster moves heading into the 2025 season, with most of the changes occurring in the bullpen. The biggest moves were losing Jeff Hoffman and adding Jordan Romano. However, Romano has been a major letdown early on. In a recent outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he faced three batters—all of whom reached base and later scored, allowing the Dodgers to take the lead in the seventh inning. After the game, Romano spoke openly about his rough start, pointing to a concerning dip in velocity.
“I’m used to being around 96 [MPH] consistently. So yeah, I don’t know what’s going on right now. But I definitely need to figure it out,” he said.
According to Baseball Savant, Romano’s average fastball is down to 94.6 MPH from 96.4 MPH in 2024—a noticeable drop that’s clearly affecting his performance. While Romano recognizes he needs to get his velocity back up, he’s unsure what’s causing the decline. “I’ve got to get the velo up, because when it’s there, it helps the slider too,” he explained. “When the velo’s down, it makes the slider easier to lay off.”
His early numbers are troubling: a 15.75 ERA in four innings and a -0.5 WAR, the worst of his career. The Phillies were counting on Romano to replace one of two right-handers lost in the offseason, and his slow start is a concern. He acknowledged the pressure: “No matter the team, you want to contribute to wins. Not doing that definitely doesn’t feel good.”
Fortunately for the Phillies, they haven’t lost a game in which Romano has appeared. When asked if mechanics might be behind his struggles, Romano was open to the idea: “It could be. I’m going to watch some video, really dig in, and try to figure this out.”
With some time between appearances, Romano has a chance to review his mechanics and approach. If he can rediscover his form, he could still become a valuable asset to the bullpen. Given his track record as a two-time All-Star, a turnaround is still within reach.