Jordan Romano was 14 years old when he made a bold prediction.

His family was attending a Blue Jays game at Rogers Centre when he said, “I’m going to pitch here one day,” recalled his mother, Cynthia Romano.

“He was pretty determined,” his father, Joe Romano, said recently at the family’s home in Markham, north of Toronto. “He was going to have a career in baseball.”

That determination paid off. 

Now 28, Romano has had a breakout season as the Jays’ closing pitcher. For fans, he serves as a rare example of homegrown talent.

“It’s kind of cool,” Romano said. “I can contribute to