TORONTO, July 1 (Reuters) - Ricky Romero(notes) has emerged as the rock of the Toronto Blue Jays’ pitching rotation this season, possessing a killer instinct the team believes will propel him into the upper echelon of the game’s top starters.
“That’s a matter of consistency and time and performing and he’s doing that.”
Romero, selected by the Blue Jays in the first round of the 2006 draft, has been compared to former Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay(notes), who was traded to the Phillies ahead of the 2010 Major League Baseball season for prospects.
The departure of Halladay, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, left a glaring hole in Toronto’s rotation, stripping it of the only constant and reliable starter of the past decade.
Romero may not possess the individual honors that Halladay has during a glittering career, but the 26-year-old left-hander boasts the same workhorse mentality of his former team mate, as each takes pride in going deep into games with a knack for returning from a bad game with a solid outing.
“At the moment he’s never satisfied with with the outing that he’s just pitched, and whether that’s a perfectionist’s attitude or one that’s just driven, he has that,” said Farrell.
“He’s driven by his own pride and his pursuit of excellence and there’s nothing artificial attached to it. That comes from within.”
Unfortunately for Romero, the Blue Jays have gone 7-9 in his starts this season, a statistic that is due mainly to the offense scoring just 13 runs.
Farrell, in his first season as Blue Jays manager, said Romero, who is 7-7 this season with a 2.74 earned-run average, has already exceeded his expectations.
“You always hope there is more in every player and never to be satisfied,” said Farrell.
“And knowing Ricky, the way he works, the way he competes, while he’s in a very good run good run right now I am sure in his mind he’s envisioned this all along and he continually looks for ways to improve.”
Romero has gone nine consecutive games of seven innings or more heading into his start against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, allowing a mere 15 runs, numbers the team believes puts him in the company of the league’s other aces.
“When you look at what he’s done over his last nine starts, and really the entire year, I don’t know that you necessarily say he has to do one more thing to get into that company,” Blue Jays manager John Farrell said on Friday.“That’s a matter of consistency and time and performing and he’s doing that.”
Romero, selected by the Blue Jays in the first round of the 2006 draft, has been compared to former Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay(notes), who was traded to the Phillies ahead of the 2010 Major League Baseball season for prospects.
The departure of Halladay, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, left a glaring hole in Toronto’s rotation, stripping it of the only constant and reliable starter of the past decade.
Romero may not possess the individual honors that Halladay has during a glittering career, but the 26-year-old left-hander boasts the same workhorse mentality of his former team mate, as each takes pride in going deep into games with a knack for returning from a bad game with a solid outing.
“At the moment he’s never satisfied with with the outing that he’s just pitched, and whether that’s a perfectionist’s attitude or one that’s just driven, he has that,” said Farrell.
“He’s driven by his own pride and his pursuit of excellence and there’s nothing artificial attached to it. That comes from within.”
Unfortunately for Romero, the Blue Jays have gone 7-9 in his starts this season, a statistic that is due mainly to the offense scoring just 13 runs.
Farrell, in his first season as Blue Jays manager, said Romero, who is 7-7 this season with a 2.74 earned-run average, has already exceeded his expectations.
“You always hope there is more in every player and never to be satisfied,” said Farrell.
“And knowing Ricky, the way he works, the way he competes, while he’s in a very good run good run right now I am sure in his mind he’s envisioned this all along and he continually looks for ways to improve.”
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