No. 8: Shortstop prospect Mikey Romero
Mikey Romero was in serious danger of falling off the prospect cliff this season, which sounds ridiculous to say about a 20-year-old former first-round pick.
However, the Red Sox were absurdly stacked. They had prospects flying up the rankings. Meanwhile, Romero was injured. He played in 19 games in 2022 (10 in the FCL and nine in Single-A). In 2023, he appeared in 34 games (eight in the FCL, 23 in Single-A, three in High-A). The numbers weren't great, either. Romero slashed .214/.294/.286 between the three levels that year.
That's okay, though. The 2024 season would be the year Romero figured it all out, right? Well, an injury took a bit longer to get him back to 100%, and he didn't make his season debut in High-A until May 15.
At this point, we were already witnessing the trio of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kyle Teel terrorize Double-A pitching. Matthew Lugo was on a resurgent campaign. Chase Meidroth was cooking in Triple-A. Vaughn Grissom was working his way back. Of course, Kristian Campbell was making a name for himself in Greenville.
There were so many people occupying spots that Mikey Romero needed. Then something happened, though. Romero was healthy. He was healthy for the first time in what felt like forever. And as many (myself included) had been stressing, Romero is great. That's not a question. He just needed to get healthy.
The left-handed hitting shortstop tore up High-A pitching in July (and most of August). He was promoted to Double-A for the final three weeks and became a moonshot menace.
Romero slashed .271/.312/.509 with 24 doubles, four triples, and 16 home runs between the FCL, High-A, and Double-A. He recorded 53 RBI, 54 runs, and one steal.
Romero didn't walk much (18 times in 362 PA for a 5% walk rate), and his strikeout rate of 23.2% (84 strikeouts) wasn't great. However, the majority of those strikeouts came before he turned things around after his promotion to Double-A.
It's not surprising that Romero struggled a bit to make contact in Double-A. He didn't even have 500 ABs in the minor leagues before making it to the level. His aggressive swing decisions led to strikeouts, but they also helped Romero enjoy a breakout campaign.
Romero might have the sweetest swing in the Boston system. He should hit for a solid average, and he's shown the ability to go the opposite way.
The power is intriguing. Romero's swing leads to him generating decent pop. The ball flies off his bat quite often. He's listed at 5'11", 175 lbs. and mentioned on the Pesky Report MiLB Talk podcast that he wants to focus on gaining muscle this offseason.
Adding mass and muscle could lead to Romero's sneaky power becoming a legitimate 25-plus homer presence.
Speed is not part of his game. Romero has five career steals in 131 minor league games. He has enough to pile up extra-base hits, though. He'll likely swipe a few more bags in the future.
Romero's a decent defender with a decent arm. He isn't going to win awards at shortstop, but he's not going to cost the team with his defense. The California kid gives steady defense (something the Red Sox would've loved in 2024). He's looked good at second base in his limited opportunities. The arm plays better there, as well.
Mikey Romero played himself back into potential future plans for the Red Sox this season. The 2024 season was a massive step in the right direction, and he could be trending towards taking another leap in 2025.
Hit: 50
Power: 55
Run: 45
Arm: 45
Field: 50
Overall: 50
No. 7: Outfield prospect Miguel Bleis
Miguel Bleis might have the largest range of outcomes of any prospect in the Boston system. No prospect is a guarantee. Anyone can flame out spectacularly, and anyone can become the next GOAT. However, there are reasonable ideas of what a prospect can be.
Miguel Bleis has every single physical tool you would want from a prospect. Everything has the potential to be plus-plus. Seriously, he's that naturally gifted.
There are plenty of questions, though. Injuries have been a thorn in his side. In the past, Bleis has also had issues with his strikeout and walk rates.
In 2024, Bleis slashed .220/.303/.354 with 16 doubles, one triple, and 11 home runs. The right-handed hitter recorded 47 RBI, 56 runs, and 38 steals between Single-A and High-A.
Bleis drew 39 walks in 429 plate appearances (9.1% BB rate) and 92 strikeouts (21.4% K rate). Neither of those numbers is spectacular, but they are both improvements from the year prior. Most importantly, he didn't completely fall off a cliff after being promoted to High-A.
That being said, Bleis did see significant declines in his slash line in Greenville as compared to Salem. There was some bad luck involved. Bleis does make a lot of hard contact, however, he also has a legitimate pop-up problem. The good news is that pop-ups feel like a tweakable adjustment can be made.
Bleis has some work to do, but he's only 20. There's plenty of time to figure some things out. The improvements in his walk and strikeout rates were a big positive. This might never be his best tool, but he could become a consistent .260+ hitter.
Bleis has legitimate raw power. We see it on occasion with the home runs. Even when he's not hitting it out of the park, there's enough hard contact to feel confident in his ability to boost those numbers as he gets older.
Not only does he have great speed, but Bleis is twitchy. He gets a good jump and has good instincts in the field and on the base paths. Everything about his running game is a plus. We saw fewer mistakes on the bases, and some super aggressive (but usually smart) plays as well.
I love watching Bleis in the outfield. In the Red Sox minor leagues, it might just be Nelly Taylor above him. Bleis gets great jumps off the bat. He reads the ball well, has good instincts, his elite speed helps him cover ground, and he's athletic enough to make phenomenal plays. To top it off, he has a great arm that will play at any position in Fenway Park.
The Red Sox need to be patient with Miguel Bleis. He has 126 games in affiliate baseball under his belt and he'll only be 21 for the entirety of the 2025 season. The tools all have the potential to be great, he's an elite physical prospect. Listed at 6'0", 170 lbs, he could fill out and become an absolute terror to baseballs.
But he's raw. It might be difficult for some fans because he's been getting hyped up since 2022, but Bleis isn't close to a finished product yet. Give him time. Let him become great.
Hit: 45
Power: 55
Run: 65
Arm: 55
Field: 65
Overall: 55