JoJo Romero Bio
Joseph Abel “JoJo” Romero (born September 9, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Philadelphia Phillies. Romero also represents the Mexico national baseball team in international competition, bringing a left-handed presence to the Cardinals’ pitching staff.
Early Life and Background
Joseph Abel Romero was born on September 9, 1996, in Camarillo, California, and grew up as the eldest of three children. He cites his experience watching his father play in a Southern California baseball league as the spark that inspired him to take up the sport. Romero is of Mexican descent, and he picked up the nickname “JoJo” from his grandfather, who struggled to pronounce his given name in English.
Raised in Ventura County, Romero developed his game on local diamonds before enrolling at Oxnard High School in Oxnard, California. In 2013, as a junior, he went 10–2 with a 1.24 earned run average (ERA) while also batting .308, drawing attention from college and professional scouts. That high school success set the stage for his progression into college baseball.
Path to Baseball
After high school, Romero played college baseball at Yavapai College, a junior college program in Arizona known for developing pitchers, before transferring to the University of Nevada. His time at both programs allowed him to refine his left-handed delivery and build the stamina required for a full professional workload.
In 2016, the Philadelphia Phillies selected Romero in the fourth round, with the 107th overall pick, of the Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the organization and was assigned to the Williamsport Crosscutters, where he made his professional debut. Across his first season of professional baseball, he went 2–2 with a 2.56 ERA in ten games, offering an early hint of the strikeout potential that defined his prospect profile.
JoJo Romero Career
Early Career (2017–2019)
In 2017, Romero split his second professional season between the Lakewood BlueClaws and the Clearwater Threshers, combining for a 10–3 record with a 2.16 ERA and 128 strikeouts. That performance earned him recognition as the Phillies’ minor league pitcher of the year. A signature outing came on May 10, 2017, when he threw eight one-hit innings against the Greenville Drive in a BlueClaws home victory at FirstEnergy Park.
The following year, Romero advanced to the Reading Fightin Phils and went 7–6 with a 3.80 ERA, recording 100 strikeouts across 106.2 innings of work. After the 2019 minor-league season, he was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Scottsdale Scorpions. On November 20, 2019, the Phillies added Romero to their 40-man roster, protecting him from the rule 5 draft and signaling that a big-league call-up was near.
Philadelphia Phillies (2020–2022)
Romero made his Major League debut on August 21, 2020, during a Phillies road game in Atlanta. Working the eighth inning with the Braves leading 11–2, he struck out all three batters he faced, a memorable opening chapter to his big-league career. He finished his rookie season with a 7.59 ERA in 12 appearances, navigating the unusual conditions of a pandemic-shortened year.
The 2021 season brought a major setback. On May 19, 2021, the Phillies announced that Romero would undergo Tommy John surgery, ending his year after only 11 games in which he posted a 7.00 ERA with 8 strikeouts. He spent the rest of 2021 and the early months of 2022 rehabilitating the elbow. On July 15, 2022, Romero was activated from the injured list and returned to the Phillies’ bullpen, completing his comeback from surgery.
St. Louis Cardinals (2022–Present)
On July 30, 2022, the Phillies traded Romero to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for infielder Edmundo Sosa. Pitching out of the Cardinals’ bullpen down the stretch, he appeared in 15 games and recorded a 3.77 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 14.1 innings, providing a glimpse of his post-surgery form. The trade gave Romero a fresh start in a new organization looking to stabilize its late-inning relief corps.
Heading into 2023, Romero was optioned to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds to begin the season as he continued building back from the operation. He has since remained part of the Cardinals’ relief picture, working to re-establish himself as a reliable left-handed option in high-leverage spots.
Driving Style and Strengths
Romero is a left-handed relief pitcher whose game is built around a heavy fastball and a sharp breaking ball, the kind of swing-and-miss combination that plays well in short bursts. He has shown a particular knack for limiting damage in one-inning appearances, and his post-surgery return highlighted improved command of the strike zone. As he settles into the Cardinals’ bullpen, his value rests on striking out batters in pressure situations and avoiding the long inning.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining moments of Romero’s career came on debut night in Atlanta, when he struck out the side in his first Major League appearance. His eight one-hit innings for Lakewood in 2017 announced him as a top Phillies prospect, and the 2019 Arizona Fall League selection underscored his standing within the organization. Trading places with Edmundo Sosa in mid-2022 marked the start of his second chapter in the big leagues.
JoJo Romero Career Wins
Romero’s win totals are tracked across his minor-league development, his Phillies tenure, and his time with the Cardinals, with the bulk of his victories accumulated during his years in the lower levels of Philadelphia’s system. Detailed major-league win totals are not consistently documented across available sources, so this section focuses on the high points rather than a complete ledger.
Minor-League Highlights
In his 2016 debut with the Williamsport Crosscutters, Romero went 2–2 with a 2.56 ERA in ten games, an efficient start to his professional record. He built on that the following season, combining for a 10–3 record between the Lakewood BlueClaws and the Clearwater Threshers. Across 2017 he added 128 strikeouts to that win total, a workload that reinforced his standing as one of the Phillies’ top young arms.
Other Wins and Performances
Romero was named the Phillies’ minor-league pitcher of the year for the 2017 season, a performance-based honor that reflected his combined win total and overall body of work. With Reading in 2018, he added seven more wins to his ledger while reaching triple digits in strikeouts.
JoJo Romero Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Romero is the eldest of three children and grew up in a household with a strong connection to the game, shaped by his father’s participation in a Southern California baseball league. He is of Mexican descent, and that heritage has shaped both his family identity and his path into international baseball, including his selection to the Mexico national baseball team.
Personal Life
Raised in Camarillo, California, and schooled in nearby Oxnard, Romero continues to be identified publicly through his Mexican-American background and his family ties to Southern California baseball. Information about his marital status, spouse, and children is not publicly confirmed in available sources.
2025 Season Performance
Entering 2025, Romero is positioned within the St. Louis Cardinals organization as a left-handed relief option, having spent the early portion of the previous season with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds before any subsequent major-league opportunities. The 2025 campaign represents another step in his return from the 2021 Tommy John surgery and his post-trade transition to the National League Central.
Romero’s role within the Cardinals’ bullpen will likely depend on his ability to generate swings and misses while keeping his ERA in check across short appearances. With the Cardinals retooling their pitching staff, his left-handed matchup value against same-side hitters remains a key selling point, and a strong spring could put him on track for a more consistent high-leverage role during the regular season.
Should Romero stay healthy and re-establish his pre-injury command, he has a realistic path to becoming a regular late-inning contributor for St. Louis. International play with Mexico, including his appearance at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, also keeps his profile visible beyond his club duties and adds motivation for a productive 2025.