Nevada baseball commit Josh Romero is following path of brother, Phillies pitcher
PRESCOTT, Ariz. (BVM) – Some people read about their heroes, or watch them on television. Josh Romero happened to grow up with his, and it’s a big reason why the Yavapai College sophomore is where he is today.
“That’s my hero,” Romero said of his brother. “Growing up, we were always in the backyard playing wiffle ball. He’s been really influential and it’s just a blessing to have him around for him to impact my life like that.”
Romero’s brother and hero is JoJo, a Philadelphia Phillies pitcher who made his major-league debut last season and is currently battling for a spot in Philly’s bullpen this spring training. JoJo was a fourth-round draft pick in 2016 after a one-year stint at Josh’s current school (Yavapai).
#Phillies No. 15 prospect JoJo Romero struck out the side (!) in his debut (!) tonight on just 12 (!) pitches.
The left-hander’s first K: pic.twitter.com/VSLrfZXnMT
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) August 22, 2020
Josh’s first-row seat to JoJo’s journey to the big leagues has been a massive inspiration.
“I started seeing him go through the process: doing really good in high school, getting a Division I scholarship, winning a national championship and getting drafted,” Josh said. “When you’re a little kid, you can only dream of that. Seeing him go through that was like ‘Oh, wow, these things are possible.’”
Now, it appears Josh’s path is shaping up similar to his hero’s.
The sophomore catcher hit .481 with a 1.200 OPS during his senior season at Oxnard High School, adding 12 extra-base hits in 81 at-bats and 12 steals. This season, Josh is hitting .286 with a homer and 10 RBIs in 12 games for the Roughriders.
Now in his second season at Yavapai, Josh is no longer a stranger to the junior college lifestyle. It’s not as glamorous as the experience of a Division I athlete, but it has afforded an athlete like Josh who has flown under the radar an opportunity.
“It’s a grind (junior college),” Josh said. “You don’t have all of the facilities, big gyms or big athletic departments like at a big DI so everything is kind of on you. It really teaches you mental toughness.
“Yavapai, Coach Cougill and the staff gave me an opportunity to come here and it’s been a blessing as far as just a great opportunity. I wouldn’t change anything about it.”
Josh said he feels he hasn’t even approached his peak yet, but he’s done enough to secure a spot on at least one Division I roster. The sophomore committed to Nevada on March 10 for what was a no-brainer decision.
“It’s never really been about how good or big the school is, it’s always been that I just want to play,” Josh said. “I’ve worked my tail off to put myself in a position to keep going in baseball and they (Nevada) gave me an opportunity.
“The phone calls that I had with Coach Buckley, he made me feel like he saw what I’ve seen in myself for a long time.”
Josh hasn’t been able to officially visit his future school, but he already has a feel for Nevada because of his brother.
Before JoJo’s one season at Yavapai which led to his fourth-round draft selection, he played for Nevada in 2015 when the Wolf Pack went 41-15 en route to the school’s first Mountain West title. JoJo pitched in 37 relief innings over 22 games while posting a 2.43 ERA and striking out 40 batters that year. He transferred to Yavapai the next season with the intention of joining Jay Johnson, the coach who recruited him to Nevada, but pitched well enough in his one season in Prescott to be drafted 107th overall.
https://twitter.com/jojothejet6/status/1369851632066961410
The advice from JoJo means a lot more because he’s been where Josh is headed. Junior college was never the ideal destination for someone like JoJo who felt he belonged on a Division I roster, Josh said, but he made the best of it.
Similar sentiments have been shared with Josh.
“He (JoJo) told me to enjoy it (recruiting) because I saw him going through that process and, as a little kid, I always dreamed of that,” Josh said. “I put it in perspective that I’m living what I’ve always wanted to do.
“He (JoJo) told me that it’s never about where you go, it’s about what you make of it.”
Nevada has four catchers on its 2021 roster, but starter Marco Valenzuela is a senior which means Josh could compete for the starting job when he gets to Reno next season where he’ll have two years of eligibility remaining. That’s just step one of the plan for Josh, and just the first thing on a long list of goals.
“It’s always the process that’s the biggest part,” Josh said. “After Nevada I want to continue my baseball career as long as I can and, in my eyes, Nevada is going to give me the best opportunity to do so.”
