The Boston Red Sox's surplus of middle infield depth has been a frequent talking point this offseason and a few years before.
The Red Sox signed Trevor Story, traded for Vaughn Grissom, and have homegrown players like David Hamilton, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer in the mix for infield jobs. Mayer, one of Boston's most highly touted prospects for a few years, has garnered most of the attention as the team's shortstop of the future, but another Red Sox shortstop prospect may be primed for a breakout.
Like Mayer, fellow shortstop Mikey Romero has struggled with injuries in the minor leagues. He's been limited to just 131 games in Boston's minor league system since his debut in 2022, but Romero came out swinging in 2024. He clocked a .271/.312/.509 slash line with 16 homers in 78 games last year and entered spring training fresh off his first healthy offseason as a pro.
Red Sox prospects have captured the spotlight at spring training this year, with plenty of discourse around Campbell's chances to make the Opening Day roster at second base and Mayer's breakout performances. Outside of the "Big Three," which also includes Roman Anthony, Cora tabbed Romero as the prospect turning the most heads.
Alex Cora says Mikey Romero is turning heads at Red Sox spring training
Alex Cora was asked which prospects, besides the "Big 3", have caught his eye:
— NESN (@NESN) March 5, 2025
"Mikey Romero is a good player... this is the first time I had a look consistently... good instincts, really good instincts." 👀 #RedSox pic.twitter.com/3SGhG630aq
Romero was the Red Sox's first-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, the same year Anthony was drafted as a compensatory pick. Injuries kept him from developing as fast as his young counterparts and, in turn, kept him out of the spotlight, but his spring training performance suggests he may be catching up to the pack.
Romero has four hits, including a double and a homer, two runs and two RBI in four spring training appearances so far. Since he finished the 2024 season in Double-A, his appearances haven't been long and he isn't a frequent starter but his early success could mean the Sox are willing to give him more reps.
Despite his recent successes, the 21-year-old doesn't have the clearest path to the big leagues with the Red Sox at the moment. Boston has Story under contract until 2029 if he doesn't opt out after the 2025 season (he won't) and Mayer is older with more experience than Romero. Still, anything the infielder can do to catch eyes and raise his stock will benefit him in the long run, no matter where he ends up playing.
Hopefully, Romero can put his injury struggles behind him and live up to the first-round pick hype. He looks stronger than ever this spring and may be well on his way to a breakout season.