Blue Jays Name Prospects Headed to Australia

Canberra mascot Sarge in New York
Peter Bojkowski photo

   The Blue Jays have (finally) named the prospects that will be headed to the Australian Baseball League to suit up for the Canberra Cavalry when ABL play opens at the end of the month.

  Relievers Andrew Case, Jackson Lowery, Josh DeGraaf, outfielders DJ Davis and Josh Almonte, and Catcher Mike Reeves will take to the field for Canberra, who have had a successful partnership with the Blue Jays dating back several years.  The Blue Jays tend to use the down under experience to help a player make up for lost time due to injury or other issues, or to accelerate their development.  Anthony Alford was sent to Australia in 2015 after stepping away from college football, and the crash course he took in pitch recognition helped him break out as a prospect that year when he returned stateside.  "It's like they pitch you backward," Alford said of the mostly veteran-laden Aussie pitching staffs after struggling in the ABL with a heavy diet of breaking balls and fastballs just off the plate.  The experience helped him leap onto Baseball America's Top 100 list after the 2015 season. IF Jason Leblebijian was just another utility org guy in the system before hitting .324/.401/.578 for Canberra last season, and he didn't stop hitting when he returned home, slashing .294/.361/.436 between Dunedin and New Hampshire this season, establishing himself as a future MLB prospect. Cavalry Manger Michael Collins called the team's MVP the best SS the ABL has seen since Didi Gregorious (who played for Canberra in their first season):

After you get past Didi, Lebby's provided great defence, he's made a lot of great plays that people have almost come to expect as somewhat routine, which definitely are not [routine] ... plays that most people don't even get close to and he's almost making.

    RHP Case, a native of Saint John, NB, was signed as a free agent after a dominant performance at the inaugural Roberto Alomar T12 tournament in Toronto, a September showcase of the best amateur players in Canada, in 2013.  Case threw a 13-strikeout no-hitter in the semi-final, earning a contract with the Blue Jays.  He was suspended by MLB for 50 games in March of this year after failing to take a drug test.  Case claimed that he couldn't afford the flight from Alberta, where he was training, to Toronto for the test.  In truth, he may have mismanaged his time as well as his money.  Case, who was likely headed to Lansing, where he finished 2015, but had his season debut pushed back to July as a result of the suspension.  He posted an 0-2 record with a 2.28 ERA and 11 Saves in 22 appearances for Lansing, fanning 19 and helping to fortify the back end of the Lugnuts' bullpen.
  Case is not a power pitcher, topping out at 93 with his fastball.  He relies on command of his fastball to both sides of the plate, and a curveball that has nice shape and depth to it, which he can consistently throw for strikes.

    Righthander Lowery was another undrafted free agent signed out of Arkansas last season, where one of his teammates was 2016 4th rounder LHP  Zach Jackson.  Lowery went originally to Central Arkansas as an infielder, but transferred after a year to Meridian (MS) CC in order to pitch.  The following year, he realized a dream when he returned home to pitch with the Razorbacks.  Even though he became a long relief mainstay for Arkansas that year, his relative pitching inexperience and his size (6'0", 175) caused him to be overlooked in the draft in 2015.
  After a solid debut season in rookie ball last year, Jackson started the season with Vancouver, but was promoted to Lansing this year after saving 5 games in as many opportunities with the C's.  With Lansing, he pitched well in July and the first part of August, but struggled down the stretch, and it didn't sit well with him. "(I) didn't finish like I wanted, and let my team down a few times.  It will make me a better person this offseason."
   Lowery is a sinker/slider pitcher who, like Case, uses sequencing and location to get hitters out.  The contact he gives up tends to be of the ground ball variety.  He admitted that he was a little hesitant to accept travelling far from home, but sees the bigger picture in terms of his baseball career:

At first it got to me a little, not the distance but the time away, missing things like duck season and my family during the holidays. In order to accomplish the things that I want to accomplish in this game I have to sacrifice things and I'm willing to sacrifice almost anything in order to live out this dream. I have the support of my family so I'll do whatever it takes. It's an honor to be invited to this league and to have the support of the Blue Jays. I owe it all to them. They are the reason I am still playing and it is a privilege to represent the organization. I hope to continue to grow as a pitcher mentally and physically and continue to get stronger for next season.

     Righthy DeGraaf, a 2015 31st rounder out of NAIA Taylor University, is a finesse pitcher like his Lansing teammates Case and Lowery.  He did a little bit of everything for the Lugnuts this year, starting 7 games, pitching in long relief, and saving 3 games over 94 innings.  He complements his sinker with a slider and a changeup, his out pitch.
   One of the things that I have come to really enjoy about writing this blog is researching the background of players like DeGraaf - guys who were not highly touted, but have maximized their ability.  DeGraaf's high school coach spoke glowingly about him:

“We knew that Josh would go on to good things,” Kein said. “When he was playing for us, it was evident that he wasn’t as physically mature as he was going to get. He has done a lot of hard work. He is one of the best players I have ever coached. He played shortstop for three years on the varsity level. He was a great program kid and a great leader. He is one of the few players I have ever hadl that was a captain in both his junior and senior years. It was his intelligence that put him head and shoulders above others. He is a very smart player. He knew our system inside and out and the game in general. He was a great teacher to the younger kids.”

   Of all the prospects headed to the ABL, none have the pedigree of Davis - and few have underachieved to the extent he has.  A 2012 1st rounder from Mississippi HS ball, Davis was one of the youngest players in his draft class, and represented a roll of the dice for the Blue Jays amateur scouting staff.  His tools were without question, but The Magnolia State is more known for producing footballers than it is baseball players.
In five minor league seasons, Davis has posted a line of .239/.312/.352, which was inflated by a .282/.340/.391 2015 season with Lansing - his second at that level, after striking out a league-high 167 times the year before.
   Davis missed a month due to injury this year with Dunedin, and hit only .197 for the D-Jays in 97 games. He's headed to the ABL not only to make up for that lost time, but also perhaps to sharpen his pitch recognition skills - he's struck out almost 30% of the time over his minor league career.
   He's fallen off the prospect radar, but the tools are no doubt still there, and at 22, there is still time for Davis to turn his career around.

   Almonte was a 22nd rounder taken out of Long Island, NY high school in 2012, and the club's patience in his gradual development was rewarded with a breakout .307/.343/.398 season with short-season Bluefield in 2014.  He had trouble staying healthy with Lansing in 2015, and slipped below the Mendoza line between Lansing and Dunedin this year, hitting .199/.245/.275.  The tools are there, but the performance mostly has not.

  Reeves is from the hockey hotbed of Peterborough, ON, by way of Florida Gulf Coast University in the 2013 draft.  In four years in mostly a back up role, he has yet to play above High A.  Reeves will provide some depth for Canberra behind the plate.

  The Blue Jays, for their part, are pleased with the partnership they have with Canberra.  The Cavalry draw decent crowds, and are well supported by the community.  The level of competition is not elite, but it's reasonably good.  The league has a number of  AA-type pitchers and indy ball veterans who are hopeful of another shot at affiliated ball, and are putting their beset foot forward.  Despite being far from home, it's a good atmosphere for prospects who wouldn't have an opportunity to play elsewhere.  The Canberra organization is similarly pleased with the arrangement, according to Cavalry CEO Donn McMichael:

The Canberra Cavalry consider our relationship with The Blue Jays as THE most important of all that we have. The Blue Jays have always been very professional in our dealings with them and have always tried to support any gaps in our roster. They communicate well with us and we are aware early in compiling our roster who they intend on sending to us.

 The players that have played with us from the Jays have all been quality men and have been willing to assist us in our community engagement with visits to schools, paediatric wards at the hospital etc

   It's a unique experience for these players, most of whom have never been so far from home.  As Lowery suggested, it's a necessary step to help further their careers.  Alford has some words of advice for the prospects the Blue Jays have sent to Australia:

Just be a student of the game. Continue to sharpen their craft. Don't get caught up in the results, because the stats there don't determine who they are as a baseball player. Continue to learn, because you can never learn too much.

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   The elephant in the ABL, of course, is the decision by MLB to pull its funding this year after the original five-year commitment they made to Australian baseball ended.  Baseball is still a fringe sport in Australia, and the ABL is a crucial part of its development.  League rules mandate that at least 5 homegrown players must be in a team's lineup at all time.  When MLB stepped in to help revive the ABL in 2010, they agreed to finance the league for 75% of its expenses (most of which went to building playing facilities that were brought up to MLB standards), with the Australian Baseball Federation picking up the rest.
   The 2015-16 season did not get off to a rousing start when league CEO Peter Wermuth was let go on the eve of the season opener.  Fans were frustrated over the league's lack of growth.  This season, with the funding cut backs, the regular season was shortened from 55 to 40 games.
   The league still faces an uncertain future.  Some teams, like Canberra, have developed partnerships with the local business community, but other teams in the 6-team loop are struggling at the gate and on their spreadsheets. In some parks around the league, the empty seats and lack of advertising don't suggest a rosy financial picture.  MLB has looked at other emerging markets like China in which to grow the game and discover new talent.  Still, McMichael is optimistic about the league's future:

I am very confident that the ABL will continue to grow and help develop the talent that we are producing in Australia, and be a destination for both affiliated and independent ball players to play winter ball.

 This year is very much a year of consolidation for the ABL after the departure of MLB. It is fair to say that without the assistance of MLB over the past 6 years the ABL would not be in the strong position that it is and we are very grateful for all that they have done is assisting us.

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      Only Brisbane has secured sponsorship to stream all of its games on the ABL's website.  The other teams will stream one game per series.  The ABL does have a YouTube channel, where you can watch highlights and archived games.
   The time difference between Canberra and Toronto is 15 hours, so watching the Cavs will often mean getting up in the dark at about 4:30 am to watch.  

Clutchlings Notebook - Final Edition

Andrea Valo Photo

Meanwhile I just became a certified Uber driver for the offseason in the hopes I can pay my bills every month

— Casey Lawrence (@caseylawrence) September 9, 2016

  The veteran Blue Jays farmhand tweeted the above comment in the wake of Tim Tebow signing with the Mets for a $100 000 bonus after a whirlwind courtship with several teams, the Blue Jays reportedly being one of them.
   There is no doubt about Tebow's athleticism, but at age 29, and not having stepped on a ball diamond for 11 years, he just not was worth the relatively small signing bonus (albeit one that far outnumbered the one Lawrence and hundreds of other minor leaguers received).
  Tebow will report to the Mets' Instructional League camp later this month, but he will be taking one day off per week to honour his college football broadcasting commitment.
  He will no likely help generate some early buzz for the Mets next spring training, but it's hard to see him breaking camp with a team at the end of March.  Never one to turn down a look at an athlete with some projection, the Blue Jays likely considered the lengthy odds against Tebow, and said no, thanks.

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   Former Toronto Sun Blue Jays beat reporter Bob Elliott reported on the Canadian Baseball Network site that the Blue Jays have cancelled the annual (since 1982) R. Howard Webster Award winners weekend. Named for one of the Blue Jays founders, the Award recognizes the MVPs of each Blue Jays affiliate.  For 30 years, the club has brought these prospects to Toronto late in the season to meet the media, and generally become familiar with the city.
  It's not surprising that the new regime has opted to discontinue this tradition, and may hold some sort of ceremony next spring.  With a full house in attendance almost every night, and tv ratings experiencing a boom, it's hard to think that the bottom line might be one of the reasons this event was cancelled.  Bringing the players to the city (as well as the organization's top scout for the year) was a great PR gesture, and introduced these future Blue Jays to the fans.  It was also great recognition for the players, many of whom toil in anonymity.  Few would be able to afford a weekend on a minor leaguer's salary, as well.
   Inquiries to the Blue Jays as to why the event has been ended have gone unanswered.
   Peering into the crystal ball, the Webster Award winners would be:

Buffalo - Jesus Montero
New Hampshire - Rowdy Tellez
Dunedin - Ryan McBroom
Lansing - Ryan Borucki
Vancouver - Joshua Palacios
Bluefield - Bradley Jones
GCL Blue Jays - Bo Bichette
DSL Blue Jays - Yorman Rodriguez



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    Three affiliates were involved in playoff races that went down to the final days of their respective regular seasons, but in the end, only Dunedin made it to the post-season.  With 10 days to go, both Bluefield and Lansing were in playoff positions, but both stumbled down the stretch, and found themselves on the outside looking in when the season was over.
   Dunedin played a lot of baseball in their best of three division final with cross-town rival Tampa, a Yankees affiliate.  While the major league partners were doing battle last week in New York, the minor league teams played an epic series, with Tampa the eventual winner.
   Game 1, played in Tampa, was a classic pitcher's duel.  The teams traded runs in the 3rd inning, then were shut down the rest of the way by the Yankees' Yefrey Ramirez, and the D-Jays' Luis Santos, who struck out 10 over 8 innings.  The end of 9 innings saw the teams still deadlocked at 1.  Both had runners in scoring position with two outs in their halves of the 11th, but couldn't score.  Tampa finally scored in the top of the 13th when top prospect Gleyber Torres cashed in the winning run on a double to left.  The D-Jays were blanked in their half of the inning, and Tampa had a 1-0 lead in the series.
  Facing elimination in game 2, the D-Jays got to work quickly, as an Anthony Alford walk to lead the game off eventually came around to score on a Max Pentecost sac fly.  Dunedin added a pair in the top of the 2nd, but Tampa got those two runs back in their half of the 2nd on a Home Run off of starter Jon Harris.  The teams traded zeroes until the bottom of the 8th, when Tampa tied the score.  Not to be undone, the D-Jays re-took the lead in the top of the 9th, only to have Tampa tie things up in the bottom half.
   Headed to extras again, the bullpens for both clubs held the fort until things burst open in the top of the 15th for Dunedin:

    Tampa failed to score in their turn at bat in the 15th, so the series was headed to a third and deciding game.
   The home Yanks scored first in the bottom of the first inning, but Dunedin got that run back on a solo HR by Ryan McBroom in the 2nd.  Tampa scored again in the bottom of the 4th, but the D-Jays matched that with a run in the 5th, and took the lead with 4 more in the 6th.
   The bottom of the 6th proved to be the turning point in the series, however, as Tampa scored 6 times against tiring Dunedin starter Connor Fisk, taking a 9-6 lead.  The D-Jays scored a run in the 7th, and narrowed the lead to one by scoring a run in the top of the 9th, but stranded pinch-runner Josh Almonte, who came into the game to run for Pentecost after he had doubled in Dunedin's 8th run.  With the tying run in scoring position and only one out, Tampa reliever Jordan Foley struck out Matt Dean and Mike Reeves to preserve the win, giving the Yankees the series win in the process.
   It was a great series for both sides.  Dunedin's J.D. Davis hit .467 for the series, including a 5-7 night in game two.  Dunedin rode a 43-23 second half to reach the post season, one of the best half season records for a Toronto affiliate in recent memory.

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   They came to pro ball from three different, non-traditional directions.  But 2016 ended on a high note for right-handed pitchers Jordan Romano, Jackson Lowery, and Gabe Noyalis.
   Romano, a Markham, Ontario native, was playing for the Ontario Blue Jays (a Toronto-based travel ball team), when he played in a tournament in Oklahoma.  The former Canadian national junior team member caught the eye of a recruiter at Connors State, a junior college in Muskogee.  He pitched for the Cowboys for two seasons before moving to Oral Roberts, a Division 1 school about an hour away.  Romano served as the Golden Eagles closer, and was drafted after his junior year in the 10th round by the Blue Jays in 2014.
  Romano had a strong pro debut, striking out 34 hitters in 28 innings (all but 3 of them with Bluefield), and headed into 2015 full of optimism.  A torn UCL near the end of spring training put his plans on hold, as Romano underwent Tommy John surgery, and missed the entire season.
   Lowery attended Central Arkansas out of high school as an infielder, but transferred after his freshman year to Meridian (MS) Community College to become a pitcher.  The next year, the Arkansas native returned home to realize a dream and pitch for the Razorbacks.  In his senior year, he became a mainstay in long relief for Arkansas late in the season.  Undrafted after that season, the sinker/slider pitcher signed as a free agent in early July of 2015.  Lowery was determined to prove the teams that passed on him wrong.  He pitched in the GCL and at Bluefield last summer.
  Gabe Noyalis may have taken the most unconventional route to pro ball of this trio.  Noyalis pitched for Bucknell in his first year of college play, then transfered to D3 powerhouse Misericordia for his sophomore season, only to walk away from the game completely after that campaign.  He did start to hit the weight room regularly after that, and fell in love with lifting.  Baseball was off his radar until the spring of 2015, when his former high school coach asked him to throw some BP to the team prior to a state playoff game.  Noyalis hit 91 with this fastball, and with some encouragement got in touch with Blue Jays scout Matt Anderson, who was his 7th Grade basketball coach.  After auditioning for a few teams, Noyalis signed with the Jays after hitting 98 at Anderson's baseball camp in Texas.

 
     Romano threw himself into his rehab after his surgery last spring,  was pitching off a mound again by January, and was throwing batting practice a month later.  Held behind as spring training camp broke, he was itching to get into game action.  Romano, who was told he would be a starter this year, began pitching in two and three inning stints in extended in April, and was sitting 92-94 with his fastball.  By late May, he was up to 5 innings, as the club determined his readiness to get back into competition.  His first appearance in 22 months came on June 13th, as he limited Great Lakes to one run and two hits over 7, striking out 7.  He struggled at times with his fastball command, but it improved as the summer progressed, and he described his slider as, "the best it's ever been."  He put everything together in a late August start against Dayton, fanning 10 in 6 innings in one of the best starts by a Blue Jays minor league pitcher this year.  He was removed from the start for precautionary reasons in the top of the 7th after losing control of a couple of fastballs and was shaking his arm as he walked off the mound, but tests revealed no damage, and he returned to action in a piggyback role with top draft pick T.J. Zeuch before the season ended.
   For the season, Romano was 3-2 with a 2.11 ERA, which would have led the Midwest League if he had enough innings to qualify.  He struck out 72 hitters in as many innings, walked 27, and MWL hitters managed only a .191 average against him.
  When asked what he learned from his first year of full season ball, Romano responded, "(I) Learned a good routine with throwing and working out that helped my arm feel good.  A big thing is that if I had a bad start or two I shouldn't try to change a bunch of things.   Just try to stick with what got me here."  His plan for the off season is to improve his fastball command.  For next year, his goals are to improve his change up to the point where it's a viable third pitch, and make it as high as AA.

   Lowery stayed behind in extended when spring training broke, and was sent to Vancouver when short season play began in June.  Northwest League hitters were over matched against him, and after 9 appearances, he was on his way to Lansing.  Lowery was lights out for much of August for the Lugnuts, reeling off 8 scoreless outings at one point, but he had a couple of rough outings down the stretch as Lansing fell out of a playoff spot, and it weighed heavy on him, saying, "I didn't finish like I wanted and let my team down a few times.  (It) will make me better this off season."
   As to what lessons he took away from this season, Lowery observed:

I learned a lot this year. One of the biggest things I learned is to focus more on certain things in pregame throwing and limit my throws. I could definitely feel a difference when I didn't throw as much and made each throw important to what I needed to work on.  

  He also joked that he learned that the higher the level, the less he needs to throw his fastball.  Sometimes the best lessons are the most painful ones.
   Lowery's plan for the off season is to get stronger and put on weight - at 6'/175, Lowery has always been viewed as undersized.  He may have been a bit disappointed with how his season finished, but he put together an impressive body of work this year.

   Noyalis headed northwest with Lowery to begin the season with Vancouver as well, and had a pair of scoreless outings in his first mound action in four years.  The next six weeks did not go as well, and Noyalis' ERA ballooned to 8.41 by mid-August.  His final two weeks in the Northwest League were a much different story, as Noyalis ended the year with 4 scoreless outings in his final 5 appearances, striking out 4 in 2 innings in his final game.
     Noyalis reflected on his first pro season:

I learned a lot, mostly how to handle the workload of a professional season, the pace of the game, the ins and outs of a professional organization and how it's ran from a players perspective, what kind of pitcher I am/aim to be, things of that sort.

    One of the reasons the Blue Jays like having Vancouver as an affiliate is that it gives their prospects a brief taste of living in Canada, with it's different currency, and cross-border travel.  Noyalis enjoyed his time in British Colombia:

 (It) was a great experience that I'll never forget, the city was amazing and I couldn't have asked for a better host family.. I got to see Stanley Park but didn't make it to the (Grouse) Grind and I'm not sure if I saw the (Capilano) bridge but I was on a few of them.. I was also at Granville Island and I got to go downtown quite a bit.

   Noyalis' off season plans include getting as strong as possible while still maintaining his mobility, and when he resumes throwing at the end of October, he wants to focus on his fastball command by getting more consistent with his mechanics.

   All three took circuitous routes to get there, but they've already outlasted hundreds of other players to make it to full season ball (where Noyalis will be next year).  The road ahead is still a long one, and the trio faces tall odds to make it to MLB despite the progress they've made so far.   All three are reflective, articulate, and motivated young men, and it has been fascinating to follow their progress so far and have them share their thoughts on the journey.

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   The Lugnuts and Michigan State Spartans play an exhibition game every April on the eve of Lansing's home opener.  This year's game was snowed out, so it was moved to the day after Labour Day, which gave a chance for prospects Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Bo Bichette to suit up for the Lugs.  Along with Toronto's own Connor Panas, who hit 16 round trippers for Lansing this year, the three took part in a pre-game Home Run Derby.
   Panas ultimately won the Derby, but Vlad Jr gave us all to look forward to next spring (when he should break camp with Lansing:

   Thanks to Chad Hillman for the video.  Chad watches a lot of Lugnuts and Tigers games, and live tweets his great insights.  Follow him at @HillmanChad.

A Look at Jordan Romano

Milb.com photo

  You could call Toronto Blue Jays right-handed pitching prospect Jordan Romano an "accidental pitcher"; the Markham, ON, native was a catcher for his high school team, but a broken foot forced him to switch to the mound.  Three years later, after a pair of seasons at an Oklahoma junior college, and a year closing games for Oral Roberts, he was selected in the 10th round of the 2014 draft.  After blowing out his elbow the following spring, the tall, lanky prospect had to sit out the 2015 season, and didn't make his 2016 debut until June.  Call him whatever you want, but after 6 innings of 2-hit ball, with 10 strikeouts for Lansing against Dayton in Midwest League action last night, you can also call him a Blue Jays prospect on the rise.

  It would be cliche to call Romano a typically gritty Canadian (one of five on the Lugnuts' roster, in fact), but consider this:  when he tore his UCL toward the end of spring training in 2015, he stayed in for one more pitch, and retired the hitter on a wicked slider.  His has been a long and winding road, but he has firmly placed himself on the prospect map this season.

  The 6'4", 200 Romano is an imposing presence on the mound.  Working from a simplified delivery, he parts his hands during his delivery for some scapular loading.  With his size, he does take a while to deliver the ball, but he has worked hard to vary his timing to help keep runners on.

   After an hour long rain delay, Romano took to the mound against Dayton, the Reds' Low-A affiliate. Usually, they field a competitive team, and the Dragons are one of the best-drawing teams in minor league baseball, but this year's edition is some 40 games under .500.  They proved to be giant killers against Lansing in the first two games of the series, however, storming back from a 10-3 deficit with 8 unanswered runs (in what may become known as the Rally Skunk game one day) to take the second.  With Lansing locked in a battle for the final Eastern Division playoff berth, this game had added importance to the Lugnuts.

  In the first inning, Romano perhaps showed the effects of the rain delay, as he walked the leadoff hitter, then gave up a single.  Facing Nick Senzel, the 2nd overall pick in the June draft (and a leader in most MWL offensive categories if he had enough ABs to qualify), Romano gave up a long fly ball that LF Connor Panas had to make a leaping catch against the wall on to record the first out of the inning.
   Romano quickly regained his composure, and struck out the next two hitters swinging to end the inning.  In fact, he set down 17 of the next 18 hitters he faced after Senzel's flyout, and could have easily retired 17 straight if not for RF Lane Thomas taking a circuitous route to a deep flyball by Senzel in the swirling Dayton winds in the 4th.
   Romano came back out for the 7th inning, but was removed after only 4 pitches.  With the count at 1-1 on the lead off hitter, Romano let loose with a pair of wild pitches up and out of the strike zone.  He seemed to flinch after what proved to be his final pitch, quickly bringing out Manager John Schneider, Pitching Coach Jeff Ware, and the Lansing trainer to the mound.  At that point, the Dayton feed on milb.tv put a Dragons' logo up on the screen, so it was impossible to judge from Romano's reaction the potential extent of his injury - something clearly was not right, and with one Tommy John surgery already on his medical record, Schneider immediately called to the bullpen.  Romano said this afternoon that his removal was precautionary, and he should be on track to make his next start.

  Romano ended this contest with a career-high 10 Ks.  After his 19-pitch first inning, he was very economical with his pitches, needing no more than 13 to get through any other frame.  He threw 76 pitches on the night, an incredible 58 of them for strikes.  To left-handed hitters, Romano was very efficient at painting the outside corner, and to righties, he threw a devastating fastball with good armside run to get up under their hands.  The pitch would start in the middle of the plate, then tail to the inside, and hitters could not lay off of it when he elevated it with two strikes.  Romano also had more zip on his fastball than usual last night, sitting 94-95, and touching 96 - he still had gas in that last inning, hitting 94.
  Romano also showed good command of his slider. "I've definitely had nights where my slider was sharper but I could throw it where I wanted yesterday," he said when it was pointed out how effective the pitch was.
Romano threw 15 first-pitch strikes, and was behind only one hitter - the leadoff batter - the whole night. He had an astounding 18 swings-and-misses. Only two pitches were truly squared up on him (both by Senzel). It was truly a dominant performance, but unfortunately, Lansing was unable to provide him with much run support, and relievers Jackson Lowery and Andrew Case, who have both been lights out this month, allowed the tying and winning runs to score in the 7th and 8th.

  Over the course of just over two months, Romano has firmly established himself in the top tier of the next wave of prospects in the system.  He may not have the profile of a Jon Harris or even a Francisco Rios, but he's still developing, and still learning to pitch.  With his height, he gets good extension, and creates a good downward plane with his fastball.  The Blue Jays may have uncovered yet another good arm.

  Here is that AB against Senzel in the 6th: