Red Sox Prospect Report: Mikey Romero Back On Track After Injury

Even with the Boston Red Sox season in full swing, there is plenty going on down on the farm. NESN.com will take a look at several high-level prospects at the midway point of the season and see how they are faring. Next up: Mikey Romero.

After selecting Marcelo Mayer in the first round of the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft, the Red Sox perhaps thought they were getting more of the same with Mikey Romero.

Romero had a similar profile to Mayer when the Red Sox selected him at No. 24 overall last year. Like Mayer, Romero jumped right from high school baseball in California to the pros, suited up at shortstop and possessed a strong left-handed swing. But Romero has yet to have the same success Mayer did at the lower levels of the Red Sox farm system.

This season in particular hasn’t gone as plan for the 19-year-old, but he’s looking to get things back on track over the second half of the season.

Here’s what you need to know about Boston’s talented infield prospect at the midway point of the season.

2022 season stats: .304/.368/.506 (79 at-bats), 1 HR, 17 RBIs, 8 BB, 2 SB
2023 season stats: .265/.345/.327 (49 at-bats), 0 HR, 6 RBIs, 6 BB, 1 SB

Overview of Season
Romero got off to a dazzling start in 2022. He showcased his offensive ability between the Florida Complex League Red Sox and Single-A Salem by hitting .304 and accumulating seven doubles, three triples and one round-tripper.

But Romero hasn’t been afforded the chance to build off that production until recently. He missed over two months to begin the campaign due to a muscular issue in his back, according to The Boston Globe. It wasn’t until June 23 that Romero played in his first game this season.

Romero is still playing catch-up now with Salem, but there’s a lot to like about his skill set. He can play both middle infield spots — he projects more as a second baseman — and has a strong bat that can routinely churn out extra-base hits. Romero just needs more time to display why the Red Sox used a first-round pick on him.

Best Performance of Season
Romero’s best showing of the season came in early July with the FCL Red Sox right before rejoining Salem. He reached base a season-high four times, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two walks.

Change In Ranking?
Even with the injury that kept Romero sidelined for a substantial amount of time, Romero’s ranking hasn’t been impacted much. SoxProspects.com had him ranked seventh, right behind Nick Yorke, to begin the season and since then Romero dropped just one spot. But he has seen Roman Anthony, who the Red Sox took 55 picks after Romero, leapfrog him in the prospect rankings.

Estimated Arrival To Boston
Romero is still a long ways off from playing with the Red Sox. SoxProspects.com estimated Romero will make his big league debut in 2026.