Mikey Romero turned into a forgotten Red Sox prospect mainly due to a series of injuries and the rise of so many other youngsters in Boston's farm system.
But Romero is starting to get back on the radar thanks to a sensational power surge with Double-A Portland.
The left-handed hitting shortstop belted his fifth home run Saturday in just 10 games since being promoted to Portland on Aug. 27 -- it's his first time at the Double-A level in his career. Romero's latest blast was a rocket off the bat with an 104 mph exit velocity, per Beyond The Monster's Hunter Noll.
The home run power is a bit of a surprise from Romero, who recorded no homers in last season's injury-filled campaign. He did hit 10 homers with High-A Greenville before making his way to Portland, but it took him 59 games to do that. However, seven of those round-trippers came in a span of just nine games in late July, so power surges are nothing new to Romero.
Story continues below advertisement
Romero is batting .267 with the five homers and nine RBIs with the Sea Dogs. His strikeout rate is way up since the promotion, though, as he has fanned 17 times in 45 at-bats.
Romero's recent hot streak shows a glimpse as to why the 2022 first-round pick was viewed as a top five prospect in the Red Sox organization at the start of last season. But a back injury, which limited him to just 34 games in his first full professional season last year, set back his development. MLB Pipeline now has Romero ranked as Boston's 16th best prospect.
Romero might have been passed by surging prospect Kristian Campbell, but Romero is still just 20 years old and has plenty of time to showcase his potential if he can stay healthy.
Story continues below advertisement
Featured image via Salem Red Sox
