Phillies Castoff Tuns Heads As Saves Leader In Both AL And NL This Season

Jul 30, 2026 05:30 PM - 2 hours ago 5

Philadelphia Phillies v St. Louis Cardinals

The Philadelphia Phillies took a calculated bet past offseason erstwhile they signed seasoned person Jordan Romano, hoping the erstwhile Toronto Blue Jays All-Star could return to his ascendant shape aft an injury-plagued 2024 campaign. Instead, the move quickly became 1 of the club's biggest disappointments arsenic Romano struggled to regain his bid and consistency.

By the extremity of the season, Philadelphia had moved on, and Romano's early looked uncertain aft 1 of the worst years of his career. But now, little than a play later, the seasoned reliever is generating attraction for an different accomplishment that spans some leagues.

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Romano's latest section took different unexpected move aft he joined the Los Angeles Angels to commencement this play earlier being traded to the Colorado Rockies.

"Jordan Romano leads the Angels successful saves successful 2026,” The Athletic’s Sam Blum noted successful a station connected X with astir 7,500 likes. “Jordan Romano leads the Rockies successful saves successful 2026 (tied pinch 2 others). Jordan Romano has full 8 saves."

The quirky statistic reflects conscionable really different Romano's play has been. While it is notable that he’s capable to clasp a saves lead for 2 different teams pinch conscionable 8 connected the season, he has enjoyed a spot of a rejuvenation this season.

He has maintained a 1.35 ERA successful 7 appearances truthful acold for the Rockies, who play successful a notoriously hitter-friendly ballpark.

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When the Angels signed Romano earlier the 2026 season, they were betting that the two-time All-Star could rediscover the shape that erstwhile made him 1 of baseball's premier closers.

"Romano would surely fresh the explanation of a imaginable reclamation task aft having an disfigured 2025 play pinch the Phillies, arsenic he posted an 8.23 ERA successful 49 games a twelvemonth aft he was constricted owed to wounded pinch the Blue Jays,” Christian Arnold wrote for the New York Post astatine the time. “The right-hander had 47 strikeouts and allowed 10 location runs successful 42⅔ innings successful his lone play pinch the Phillies. During his 2024 play successful Toronto, Romano had a 6.59 ERA successful 13⅔ innings arsenic he dealt pinch correct elbow inflammation for astir of the year."

Those difficult back-to-back seasons stood successful crisp opposition to Romano's highest pinch Toronto. From 2021 done 2023, he established himself arsenic 1 of the game's elite late-inning relievers, posting a 2.37 ERA pinch 95 saves complete that three-year agelong while earning American League All-Star selections successful some 2022 and 2023.

While Romano hasn’t wholly returned to that ascendant level, his different favoritism of starring 2 different clubs successful saves during the aforesaid play demonstrates that he has erstwhile again go a trusted late-inning option. For the Phillies, it besides serves arsenic different reminder that reliever capacity tin up and down dramatically from 1 play to the next.