Boston Red Sox prospect watch: Mikey Romero returns

Red Sox Triple-A (Worcester)

It was a big week for Ceddanne Rafaela. The right-handed hitting centerfielder/shortstop went 8-for-26 with three doubles, three home runs, and a steal in the series. Rafaela is slashing .261/.306/.587 with three doubles and four home runs in 11 games for Worcester.

Ronaldo Hernandez is slashing .244/.354/.459 with seven doubles and 10 home runs. The right-handed hitting catcher has driven in 44 runs and scored 25 more. He's walked 26 times, only five off his career-high. Hernandez has shown a much better eye this year, which raises his stock again. He's not a very good defensive catcher, but he does have a strong arm behind the plate.

Enmanuel Valdez has been on a mission since moving back to Triple-A. The left-handed hitting second baseman (and now playing a little third) is slashing .270/.365/.570 with five doubles, two triples, and seven home runs. He's driven in 21 runs, scored 17 more, and stolen two bases.

Wilyer Abreu is slashing .251/.369/.467 with seven doubles, one triple, and 11 home runs. The left-handed hitting outfielder has driven in 34 runs, scored 39 more, and stolen three bases. His steals are way down this season, but he's also on pace to destroy his previous career-high in home runs.

David Hamilton is back in Triple-A. The left-handed hitting middle infielder is slashing .255/.339/.481 with 10 doubles, three triples, and 11 home runs. Hamilton has driven in 25 runs, scored 40 more, and stolen 27 bases.

Stephen Scott is slashing .260/.381/.460 with four doubles and two home runs in Triple-A. The left-handed hitting catcher has driven in 13 runs, scored eight more, and stolen two bases. He's walked more times (10) than he's struck out (8) at the level.

Shane Drohan continues to make improvements in Triple-A. The left-handed starting pitcher has a 3.47 ERA, .219 BAA, and 1.29 WHIP between Double-A and Triple-A. He's struck out 79 batters and walked 39 in 80 1/3 innings.

Brian Van Belle was promoted to Triple-A this week. The right-handed pitcher allowed three runs over five innings in his first start. BVB surrendered just three hits and one walk while striking out five batters. It was a strong debut at the level.

Red Sox Double-A (Portland)

Marcelo Mayer, Nick Yorke, and Luis Guerrero didn't play much this week because they were in the Future's Game. Mayer went 1-for-1 with a steal and a nice play at shortstop. Yorke had a double and a nice play at second base. Guerrero only faced one batter, but he struck that batter out.

Blaze Jordan was promoted to Double-A on Sunday. The right-handed hitting corner infielder slashed .324/.385/.533 with 22 doubles, one triple, and 12 home runs in High-A. He drove in 55 runs, scored 48 more, and stole two bases. Jordan wasn't striking out much and was demolishing High-A pitching. He's ready for this new challenge.

Nathan Hickey is slashing .280/.373/.540 with 11 doubles, one triple, and 13 home runs between High-A and Double-A. The left-handed hitting catcher has driven in 34 runs, scored 35 more, and stolen two bases. His bat continues to look elite.

Corey Rosier is slashing .311/.363/.490 with 16 doubles, three triples, and five home runs in Double-A. The left-handed hitting outfielder has driven in 26 runs, scored 36 more, and stolen 30 bases. He hit three home runs this week.

Alex Binelas is up to a .224/.275/.479 slash line with 14 doubles, one triple, and 11 home runs. The left-handed hitting corner infielder has driven in 34 runs, scored 28 more, and stolen six bases. Binelas is slashing .313/.353/.781 in July.

Matthew Lugo is slashing .244/.290/.378 with 18 doubles, one triple, and two home runs. The right-handed hitting utility has driven in 27 runs, scored 26 more, and stolen six bases. He's slashing .320/.438/.400 in July.

Chase Meidroth is slashing .300/.446/.427 with nine doubles and six home runs. The right-handed hitting second baseman/third baseman has driven in 32 runs, scored 42 more, and stolen nine bases. Meidroth has walked 47 times compared to 49 strikeouts.

Phillip Sikes is fast. The right-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .227/.311/.340 with 13 doubles, two triples, and four home runs. He's driven in 28 runs and scored 41 more. Sikes also leads the Red Sox organization with 34 steals.

Wikelman Gonzalez was promoted to Double-A on Sunday. The right-handed starter had a 5.14 ERA, .210 BAA, and 1.44 WHIP in 63 innings this season. He struck out 105 batters compared to 42 walks. Gonzalez had a miserable start to the season but has dominated since beginning of May.

Hunter Dobbins has looked fantastic in his three starts since moving up to Double-A. Between High-A and Double-A, Dobbins has a 2.68 ERA, .228 BAA, and 1.05 WHIP. The right-handed pitcher has struck out 63 batters compared to 11 walks in 57 innings.

Isaac Coffey with another strong start this week as well. The righty has a 3.09 ERA, .227 BAA, and 1.11 WHIP in 78 2/3 innings between High-A and Double-A. Coffey has struck out 106 batters compared to only 19 walks.

Grant Gambrell tossed a career-high eight innings in his start this week. The right-handed pitcher has a 3.75 ERA, .241 BAA, and 1.25 WHIP in Double-A. He's struck out 48 batters compared to 18 walks in 50 1/3 innings.

CJ Liu struck out a career-high 10 batters in his start this week. The righty also allowed just one run over seven innings. Liu has a 4.21 ERA, .254 BAA, and 1.44 WHIP in 72 2/3 innings. He's struck out 86 batters compared to 37 walks.

Ryan Zeferjahn tossed three shutout innings over two appearances out of the bullpen this week. The left-handed reliever has a 3.00 ERA, .207 BAA, and 1.46 WHIP between Single-A and Double-A. Zeferjahn has 38 strikeouts compared to 17 walks in 24 innings.

Dylan Spacke was big in his lone appearance this week. The righty reliever tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullepn, striking out three batters without walking any. Spacke has a 2.45 ERA, .229 BAA, and 1.29 WHIP in 40 1/3 innings. He's struck out 28 batters compared to 20 walks.

Jacob Webb made two appearances this week, combining for three scoreless innings. The right-handed reliever has a 3.60 ERA, .219 BAA, and 1.35 WHIP in 40 innings. He's struck out 41 batters compared to 22 walks.

Red Sox High-A (Greenville)

Luis Perales was promoted to High-A on Sunday. The right-handed pitcher posted a 3.21 ERA, .197 BAA, and 1.24 WHIP in 53 1/3 innings for Salem. Perales has struck out 71 batters and walked 28. He's only allowed two home runs and has been on an incredibly dominant run lately.

Angel Bastardo only allowed two runs over six innings in his lone start this week. The righty has a 4.10 ERA, .215 BAA, and 1.29 WHIP. He's struck out 96 batters compared to 36 walks in 74 2/3 innings.

Juan Daniel Encarnacion has a 4.52 ERA, .230 BAA, and 1.29 WHIP in 67 2/3 innings. The right-handed pitcher has struck out 69 batters compared to 28 walks. JDE has allowed just six earned runs over his last five starts combined (27 innings).

Bradley Blalock has made four starts in High-A and continues to look great. Between Single-A and High-A, the righty has a 2.39 ERA, .207 BAA, and 0.98 WHIP. He's struck out 44 batters compared to nine walks in 37 2/3 innings.

Dalton Rogers has a 4.53 ERA, .180 BAA, and 1.31 WHIP between Single-A and High-A. The left-handed starter has struck out 84 batters and walked 36 in 55 2/3 innings. It's been a roller coaster in High-A, but he's had some amazing moments.

Brock Bell has tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings over his last three appearances. The right-handed reliever has a 3.45 ERA, .250 BAA, and 1.21 WHIP in 15 2/3 innings in High-A. Bell has struck out 15 batters and walked three in that time.

Roman Anthony might not be human. The left-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .362/.486/.845 with five doubles, one triple, and seven home runs in High-A. He's driven in 17 runs, scored 16 more, and stolen one base in 16 games. Anthony has at least one extra-base hit and at least one RBI in six straight games.

Brainer Bonaci is slashing .320/.383/.534 with 12 doubles, one triple, and eight home runs. The switch-hitting shortstop has driven in 31 runs, scored 22 more, and stolen six bases. Bonaci hasn't stopped hitting this season despite multiple setbacks.

Eduardo Lopez has been on a tear lately. The switch-hitting outfielder is slashing .275/.360/.404 with 11 doubles, one triple, and four home runs. He's driven in 32 runs, scored 41 more, and stolen 11 bases.

Tyler Miller is quietly having a fantastic season. The left-handed hitting corner infielder/outfielder is slashing .278/.333/.460 with 13 doubles and seven home runs. He's driven in 30 runs, scored 25 more, and stolen nine bases.

Bryan Gonzalez is slashing .250/.303/.413 with 10 doubles, five triples, and seven home runs. The right-handed hitting outfielder has driven in 35 runs, scored 40 more, and stolen four bases. Gonzalez has shown a lot of raw power at times and will continue to slot into the middle of the order.

Eddinson Paulino is slashing .242/.313/.395 with 17 doubles, four triples, and six home runs. The left-handed hitting utility has driven in 36 runs, scored 46 more, and stolen 16 bases. Paulino continues to tease a major breakout.

Nick Decker is slashing .212/.335/.409 with 10 doubles, two triples, and four home runs. The left-handed hitting outfielder has driven in 15 runs, scored 27 more, and stolen four bases. Decker is 10-for-31 with five extra-base hits over his last nine games.

Alex Erro is slashing .291/.378/.412 with six doubles and four home runs. The right-handed hitting catcher/first baseman has driven in 24 runs, scored 28 more, and stolen seven bases.

Red Sox Single-A (Salem)

Mikey Romero is back in Single-A. The 2022 first-round draft pick missed the first few months with a back injury but made his 2023 debut this week. Romero went 2-for-9 with a walk and a double. The left-handed hitting shortstop scored two runs.

Brooks Brannon didn't take long to get used to Single-A. The right-handed catcher is slashing .333/.333/.762 with three home runs in five games. He's driven in nine runs and scored four more.

Allan Castro is slashing .247/.376/.378 with 20 doubles, two triples, and three home runs. The switch-hitting outfielder has driven in 29 runs, scored 39 more, and stolen 15 bases. He's walked 51 times compared to 54 strikeouts.

Cutter Coffey is slashing .224/.344/.342 with 12 doubles, two triples, and four home runs. The right-handed hitting shortstop has driven in 25 runs, scored 39 more, and stolen 17 bases. Coffey is still recovering from a slow start.

Ahbram Liendo is slashing .196/.348/.288 with 10 doubles, two triples, and two home runs. The switch-hitting second baseman has driven in 18 runs, scored 41 more, and stolen 30 bases. Liendo continues to shine defensively.

Albert Feliz has been one of the hottest hitters in the Red Sox system over the last few weeks. The right-handed hitting outfielder is up to a .247/.337/.357 slash line with nine doubles, one triple, and two home runs. Feliz has driven in 20 runs and scored 18 more.

Albertson Asigen is 4-for-14 with five walks in five games. The right-handed hitting outfielder has driven in one run, scored three more, and stolen two bases.

Enderso Lira is slashing .273/.289/.355 with six doubles and one home run. The right-handed hitting catcher has driven in 19 runs and scored 10 more. Lira is fantastic defensively, so if he can continue to produce offensively the Red Sox might have something.

Lyonell James is slashing .234/.310/.309 with eight doubles and two home runs. The right-handed hitting first baseman has driven in 32 runs, scored 26 more, and stolen two bases.

Yorberto Mejicano holds a .291/.375/.417 slash line with five doubles, one triple, and two home runs. The right-handed hitting catcher/first baseman has driven in 12 runs, scored 19 more, and stolen four bases. I sound like a broken record, but I'd love to see Meji get more playing time.

Alexis Hernandez is slashing .255/.400/.373 with three doubles and one home run in Single-A. The right-handed hitting outfielder has driven in seven runs, scored nine more, and stolen five bases. He's walked 13 times compared to just eight strikeouts.

Yordanny Monegro made his second Single-A start this week. The right-handed pitcher tossed another five shutout innings, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out five batters. Monegro has now surrendered zero runs on six hits in 10 innings. He's walked three batters and struck out 16 in that time.

Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz allowed one earned run over four innings this week. The righty has a 2.53 ERA, .217 BAA, and 1.26 WHIP in 53 1/3 innings. ERC has walked 26 batters compared to 48 strikeouts.

Luis De La Rosa made one appearance out of the bullpen this week, tossing 2 1/3 shutout innings. The right-handed reliever has a 3.51 ERA, .201 BAA, and 1.27 WHIP in 41 innings. He's struck out 44 batters compared to 22 walks.

Gabriel Jackson allowed one run on two hits over three innings this week. He struck out two batters without walking any. That continues a streak of three straight appearances (8 1/3 innings) with multiple strikeouts and zero walks. Jackson has a 3.09 ERA, .273 BAA, and 1.28 WHIP in 43 2/3 innings. He's struck out 26 batters and walked 11.