This year’s spring training has been all about Boston Red Sox prospects.
Much of the focus is on Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer to see if any of them will break camp with the Red Sox this month.
But there’s another possibility who has been overshadowed by Boston’s “Big Three” in recent seasons and has begun to pique the interest of Red Sox manager Alex Cora.
“Mikey Romero,” Cora told reporters, according to The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham. “He’s a very talented player. Just a baseball player, with solid at-bats and defense. We just need to get him healthy. He worked hard during the offseason to become in shape. He’s much stronger now.
“This is the first time I have had a consistent look. “I like him as a player.”
The Red Sox selected Romero in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Orange Lutheran High School. He was initially regarded as a top infield prospect in Boston’s farm system, rising as high as fifth on MLB Pipeline’s Red Sox prospect list for 2023.
However, ailments hampered Romero’s progress, most notably a stress fracture in his back. He has only played 131 minor league games since joining the Red Sox organization.
Romero is still only 21 years old and showed promise with High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland last season when he was healthy. He even saw a power burst with Portland, hitting five home runs in ten games.
Romero demonstrated his left-handed swing this week in a Grapefruit League game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Romero finished 2-for-3, with a solo home drive to left center field and a double.
Romero, who is now listed as the Red Sox’s 11th-best prospect, is set to open the season with Portland. However, Romero, like Boston’s other top-tier prospects, is determined to reach the major leagues as quickly as possible.
“Two steps (from the majors) is not that far,” Romero told reporters, according to MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “A number of men are brought up from Double-A. I am not claiming that is what will happen to me, but you are very near. You’re very near. That is how I feel. I feel like I’m getting close, and I’m looking forward to focusing on my work this year.”
