JoJo Romero #59

Originally selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth round (107th overall) of the June 2016 First-Year Player Draft...Graduated from Oxnard (Calif.) High School where he was a four-year letter-winner in baseball and a three-year letterman in soccer where he led the league in assists as a senior...Two-time All-State baseball selection finished his career 24-7 with 280 strikeouts...Played college baseball at Yavapai (Ariz.) College where he helped the team to the 2016 NJCAA National Championship...Transferred to Yavapai after his freshman year at the University of Nevada where he appeared in 23 games, helping the Wolfpack to the 2015 Mountain West Conference regular season title, their first MWC title in school history...Committed to transfer to the University of Arizona to follow head coach Jay Johnson but first spent a season at Yavapai due to transfer restrictions, and was subsequently drafted before making the transfer to Arizona...His brother, Josh, was an All-Big West pitcher at Cal State Northridge (2023-24) where he set the single-season saves mark with 13...He also played at the University of Nevada and Yavapai College...Resides in Oxnard, Calif., with his wife Allyson and daughters, Kehlani (8/14/22), Aleia (9/23/23) and Meliana (1/28/25).

2024

Made the Major League Opening Day roster for the first time in his career and posted career-high marks in appearances (65), innings pitched (59), strikeouts (51) and wins (seven)...Ranked third in the National League with 30 Holds behind teammate Andrew Kittredge (37) and San Francisco's Tyler Rogers (33)...Ranked second among Cardinals relief pitchers in Holds, T-5th all-time for single-season in franchise history with Kyle McClellan (2008)...Only the second Cardinals left-hander to hit the 30-hold total (Ray King, 2004)...Tied with teammate Ryan Helsley for ninth among National League relievers in wins with seven and 22nd in appearances...Posted two streaks of six consecutive appearances with a hold (4/4-16 & 6/22-7/2)...Entered games with 34 inherited runners, tied for the team lead with fellow southpaws Matthew Liberatore and John King...His 29.4% IRS ranked ninth in the National League...Held left-handed batters to a .181 BA (13-72, HR), striking out 34.7% of those batters faced...Allowed three extra-base hits all season (O. Cruz-2B, B. Lowe-HR, B. Turang-2B)...Locked down his lone save of the season vs. CIN (9/12), entering with a 4-1 lead and finished off a 6-1 win in a foul-out save appearance...Made 14 appearances of four outs or more with a single-season high of 1.2 innings vs. Philadelphia (4/9), in which he also threw a season-high 34 pitches...Finished the season on the injured list with left forearm inflammation, causing him to miss the final five games of the season.

2023

Earned his first career MLB win on 7/9/23 at the Chicago White Sox to end a 48-game streak to open his career without a decision or save, which was the longest active streak in MLB and T-eighth-longest in MLB history to begin a career...Recorded his second win, first loss and first save in the Major Leagues all within his following seven appearances, notching his first save on 7/30 vs. the Chicago Cubs...Set career bests in games pitched (27), games finished (13), wins (four), saves (three), ERA (3.68), innings pitched (36.2), strikeouts (42), WHIP (1.06) and strikeouts/9 IP (10.3)...Converted each of his final three save opportunities and finished 10 of his final 12 games pitched before having his season end early with left patellar knee tendinitis that put him on the 15-day injured list from 9/2 through the end of the season...Matched his career high of 2.0 innings pitched five times and tossed more than 1.0 inning in 16 of his 27 outings...Struck out a career-high four batters on 8/6 vs. Colorado...Compiled a career-best 7.1 scoreless innings streak across five appearances from 7/9-20, allowing two hits and two walks in that span with 10 strikeouts...Ranked second among Cardinals pitchers (min. 6.0 IP) with a .216 opponent batting average...Held left-handed batters to a .105 (4-38) batting average...Induced five groundball double plays, and his nine GIDP since joining St. Louis are T-fourth among left-handed relievers in franchise history through the first 42 relief appearances of their Cardinals career and T-15th, overall among STL relievers. 

2022

Acquired by the Cardinals at the trade deadline in exchange for INF Edmundo Sosa on 7/30 and was sent to Memphis...Began the season on the Phillies 60-day Injured List recovering from left elbow surgery. Made his 2022 debut with the Phillies at Miami (7/16) and one more appearance (7/22 vs. CHI) before the trade to the Cardinals where he finished the season...Made 17 appearances without recording a decision or save; currently owns the longest-active streak in MLB at 40...His Cardinals debut came at ARI (8/20) pitching a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts to close out a 16-7 win...Ran off a career-high 7.0 scoreless innings from his Cardinals debut through his next four appearances (8/20-9/7)...Posted a season-high 2.0 innings twice, both scoreless outings (8/23-G1 at CHI & 10/4 at PIT). Retired all six batters faced with one strikeouts vs. the Cubs...Pitched a scoreless inning in a 13-inning game at CIN (8/31), getting a caught stealing on pickoff to end the 8th inning to hold down a tie game...Did not allow a run in any of his five day game appearances, holding his opposition scoreless on one hit over 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts...Held left-handed batters to a .118 BA (2-17) with one home run allowed (Oneil Cruz, at PIT, 9/10)...Posted a season-high allowing three runs at MIL (9/28).

2021

Began season at the alternate training site in Lehigh Valley before being recalled on 4/12...Made 11 ML appearances, posting a 2.57 ERA (2 ER, 7.0 IP) over his final eight before being placed on the 10-day IL on 5/6 with a left elbow sprain...Was transferred to the 60-day IL on 5/18 and missed the remainder of the season...Underwent Tommy John surgery on 5/26 (Dr. Neal ElAttrache).

2020

Attended ML Spring Training and began the season at the alternate training site in Lehigh Valley...Had two short stints with the Phillies (8/14-16, 8/20) before being recalled on 8/21 for the remainder of the season...Made his ML debut on 8/21 at ATL (1.0 IP, 3 SO), striking out the side on 12 pitches, becoming just the second Phillie since 1957 to strike out the side in his ML debut...Allowed only one base runner (BB) and struck out six of the 12 batters he faced in his first four career appearances...In his first nine career appearances (9.1 IP), walked one, struck out 10 and stranded all six inherited runners.

2019

Attended Phillies Spring Training as a non-roster invitee...Split season between Reading (AA) and Lehigh Valley (AAA)...From his final stint with Lehigh Valley (7/26-end of season), posted a 3.86 ERA (11 ER, 25.2 IP)...Named Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Week, 7/22-28... Following the season, pitched for Scottsdale in the Arizona Fall League...Allowed only 1 ER over 10.2 IP (0.84 ERA) in eight fall appearances.

2018

Spent season with Reading...Logged a quality start in nine of his final 11 outings, posting a 2.44 ERA (19 ER, 70.0 IP) from 5/20-7/14...Was on the IL from 7/18-end of season (right oblique muscle strain)...Held LHH to a .213 AVG (26-122) and .295 SLG...Limited opponents to a .150 AVG (6-40) with RISP and 2 outs...Following the season, named the 6th-best prospect in the Phillies organization by Baseball America.