Jordan Romano hit with serious new issues

That's the story tied to the former Toronto closer right now. Romano opened the season well with the Angels, but 2 rough outings in the Bronx just dragged his name right back into familiar territory.

Blue Jays Nation pointed to the same issue Toronto fans know well. The stuff still flashes, but the margin looks thinner now, and once the command slips even a little, the inning can get away from him fast.

The velocity drop stands out most. From 2021 through 2023, Romano regularly touched 101 mph and sat around 98, but this year the report says he has been closer to 96-97.

That does not mean he is finished. It does mean the overpowering version of Romano is harder to find, which makes location and pitch mix a lot more important than they used to be.

The trouble showed up fast against the Yankees. On April 13, Romano entered the ninth with a 10-8 lead, then gave up a single, a game-tying homer to Trent Grisham, another extra-base hit, 2 walks, and finally the walk-off run on a wild pitch.

Then it got worse. In another ninth inning with a 4-3 lead, Romano allowed traffic again and the Angels lost on a walk-off double. Across those 2 appearances, he recorded only 1 out and was charged with 5 earned runs.

That's why this hits a nerve in Toronto. Romano was a big-time closer at his peak, posting 23 saves in 2021 and then 36 in both 2022 and 2023 before injuries and inconsistency started dragging him off that track.

The fresh-start angle has not fully disappeared. Blue Jays Nation noted Romano began 2026 with 6 scoreless outings and had already picked up 4 saves before the Yankees series blew up on him.

So this is not a total unraveling yet. It is a warning sign.

The article also pointed to the obvious fixes: stay out of the heart of the zone, lean more on the off-speed mix, and get ahead in counts. Romano has added a changeup this season, but the fastball-slider combo has not been as sharp when hitters force him into the zone.

That's the real concern. Closers can survive without elite velocity. They usually cannot survive middle-middle mistakes, free passes, and innings where the pace suddenly speeds up on them.

Romano still has enough arm to get this back under control. But after those 2 ninth innings in New York, the old questions are back, and they are louder than they were a week ago.