Mikey Romero
Age: 19
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 175 lbs.
Bats/Throws: Left/Right
Hometown: San Diego, California
Draft Profile: 1st round, 24th pick of the 2022 draft by Boston
Drafted Out of: Orange Lutheran (Orange, CA)
Career Stat Line: .304 AVG .368 OBP 1 HR 17 RBI 2 SB 0.914 Fielding %
This week's Minor League Spotlight starts on the opposite coast from where I'm typing this up, all the way out in beautiful San Diego, California: the hometown of Mikey Romero. He was the baby boy in a family with three older sisters, but was far from coddled, as all three played division 1 softball (Nesn.com). With such competitive siblings, the youngest had no choice but to get on board with the family business at an early age. He not only fit in however, but excelled.
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| Sisters Sydney and Sierra/ Photo: Jade Hewitt Photography |
It was clear early on that Mikey had inherited many of the same genes. He was playing travel ball before long, touring all over the West coast challenging the best competition they could find. It was there that he met Marcelo Mayer, who he was reunited with after being drafted by Boston many years later. But we'll get there soon...
Before all that, Romero got some international exposure as a member of the USA team in the 2016 U-12 Baseball World Cup. The youngin' played in all nine games of the tournament, stroking a cool .515/1/13 on the way to a gold medal victory over China-Taipei (USABaseball.com). While it may not have been the power display some of his teammates showed, it was clear that the Californian was more than capable at the plate-- as well as in the field, where he boasted a perfect fielding percentage.
Fast forward three years and Mikey was back on the international scene, this time for the 2019 U-15 squad. Joined by fellow future first rounders Brandon Barriera and Termarr Johnson, they defeated Panama 3-1 to capture another gold for the USA. Three errors marred his previously flawless fielding during the global tournaments, but still a good showing overall for the two time medalist.
To prep school he went, where the hype train really began to gain steam. After COVID took the 2020 season from Orange Lutheran, the Lancers came out swinging for 2021. Romero, now a high school junior, ripped a modest .362/1/15 line during his first taste of varsity ball, as his team went 30-6 (MaxPreps). Not numbers that jump off any page, but given the elite competition found in the Trinity League, it was a solid showing.
The summer after his junior year was a busy one. After Arizona's head coach Jay Johnson left for the same position at LSU, Romero decided to follow suit in hopes of playing under the man that recruited him (AZDesertSwarm). He also went on to play in the Perfect Game All-American Classic in his home town's Petco Park. Despite being no hit by the East in a 9-1 loss, the San Diego native scored the games only run, while putting himself firmly on the professional radar with some future stars (PerfectGame).
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| Photo Credit: Twitter/ @mromo32 |
Mikey picked up right where he left off during his senior campaign, playing in all thirty games as he led Orange Lutheran to a conference winning 25-5 record (MaxPreps). He boosted his average ten points, hit three more bombs than the previous season and walked more than he struck out-- all developments you love to see from a budding star.
Chaim Bloom was one man who'd taken notice of the high school senior, ultimately making Romero the 24th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. A $2.3 million dollar signing bonus was enough to make the recent graduate forgo his commitment to LSU, and his professional career was underway.
The BoSox assigned their first rounder to the Florida Complex, where he only lasted ten games. Mikey adjusted nicely to his first professional action, flashing a little pop while still having a positive BB:K ratio. He was primarily a middle infielder, but got in a little DH work. Boston moved him up to the low-A Salem Red Sox for the final nine games of 2022, where he slashed a .349/0/11 line. Overall, it was a strong impression by the 18 year old across two levels of ball.
Optimism surrounded Romero as he rolled into 2023, after strong offseason saw him climb to the #4 prospect in the Red Sox farm. Unfortunately, he suffered a back injury during spring training and has been on the shelf to start things out here (CBSsports). When he returns, he'll be continuing his work for the Salem Red Sox, at least for the short term. Don't blink though, because a few strong weeks of play could have the kid moving up to Greenville.
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@Choppinglines
*I own no rights to any images found in this blog
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