Who will be the breakout stars of 2024 in Greenville?
Fluor Field was the home to several breakout stars in 2023. Most notably, Roman Anthony ascended into elite prospect status while with the Greenville Drive. Allan Castro was another very notable breakout prospect in High-A last season.
Could there be another breakout star in 2024? Luckily for us, Greenville should have a few perfect candidates this season.
Let's start with Mikey Romero. The 2022 first-round pick is probably the player most expected to make a jump this upcoming season.
Romero looked great in Single-A in a short stint at the end of 2022. However, he was set to miss the beginning of the 2023 season. What was hoped to be a short absence at the start of the season ended up seeing Romero not appear in a Single-A game until July 7.
In 23 games with Salem, the left-handed hitting shortstop hit just .217/.288/.304 with four doubles and two triples. Romero was promoted to High-A, where he went 1-for-10 in three games before suffering a season-ending injury.
Injuries stole his 2023 season, but Romero should be 100% for the start of 2024. The 20-year-old has the potential to be a great contact hitter. He could slot in perfectly near the top of Greenville's order, scoring plenty of runs, stealing some bases, and playing solid defense.
Cutter Coffey spent most of his 2023 in Single-A but did make his way to High-A for a cup of, well, coffee. The right-handed hitting infielder looked good defensively, but his bat struggled. Coffey hit .210/.325/.315 with 16 doubles, two triples, and six home runs between Single-A and High-A. He drove in 35 runs, scored 59 more, and stole 19 bases.
Coffey drew walks (56) and showed glimpses of serious pop. He'll also still be just 19 for the first month of the 2024 season. While he may have slipped down the rankings in the eyes of many, he's positioned perfectly to hit some bombs at Fluor Field this summer.
Kristian Campbell was the 132nd overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. The right-handed hitting utility didn't waste time making an impact in High-A. He slashed .267/.400/.422 with two doubles, two triples, and one home run in 45 at-bats. Campbell drove in three runs, scored five more, and stole one base in 14 games.
The Georgia Tech product dominated in four playoff games as well. He hit .583/.643/.917 with one double and one home run. Campbell drove in six runs and scored three more. That home run was a three-run shot that proved to be the dagger in the Championship game.
Kyle Teel's ridiculous success stole most of the spotlight from Kristian Campbell in 2023. Expect to see the 21-year-old make sure Boston Red Sox fans are paying attention in 2024, though.