Mike Romero Is Finally Putting It All Together For Red Sox In Double-A

[Nick John]

Since being drafted in 2022, Mikey Romero has been seen as injury-prone after dealing with back injuries across his first two seasons. In 2024, while not injured, he was also limited to just 78 games due to his recovery from the injury that cost him all but 34 games in 2023.

Now finally healthy in 2025, Romero is putting together a season that has shown why the Red Sox made him a first-round pick back in 2022. Off to a hot start, Romero is making a case for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester once an opening for playing time is available. Through 26 games, Romero is slashing .280/.368/.530, a stat line that is better than any season he’s had previously. Add to it five home runs and 14 RBIs, and Romero is showing that last season’s power surge of 16 home runs was not a fluke. What may be most impressive, however, has been Romero’s newfound patience at the plate.

The left-handed batter has shown an increased ability to work the count and hunt for pitches he can hit with authority. Through his first 26 games, Romero has walked 13 times on the season, a huge improvement when compared to 2024. Last season he played in 78 games but walked only 18 times.

While Romero began the season on a decent stretch, it’s been his play in May that has really brought his improved approach to the limelight. Despite only walking one time through his first eight games, Romero has managed to cut back on his strikeouts considerably.

Romero has also improved how he’s hitting the ball, lowering the amount of time he’s pulling it compared to his first stint in Portland late last season. In 2024, he was pulling the ball 55.3% of the time, but in 2025, he’s lowered it slightly to 47.1% while increasing the percentage of balls hit to the opposite field from 17% to 24.3%. Also, he's hitting more line drives this season, hitting them at a 27.9% clip in 2025 (up from 21.7% last year).

When compared to his competition in the Eastern League, Romero is proving to be among the top in several offensive categories. His five home runs are tied for fifth, he’s 29th in RBIs, tied for fourth in runs with 21, 29th in walks, 21st in batting average and has the fifth best ISO (measures a batter’s power by showing how many extra bases they average per at-bat and calculated by subtracting the player’s batting average from their slugging percentage) at .250. Finally, he is tied for third in the Eastern League in wRC+.

Defensively, Romero has split time between shortstop, third base and designated hitter, while also playing one game at second base. Drafted as a shortstop, that has been his primary position during his time in the organization, and he's played 15 games there already in 2025. Admittedly, he’s been playing below his usual mean, as he's already made five errors this year. In 2024. he made 10 errors across the entire campaign.

When drafted, he was viewed as being unlikely to be a standout defender, but his soft hands and strong instincts along with showcasing average range made it seem that he could possibly stick at the position. However, it’s much more likely he will be switched to second or third base with Marcelo Mayer blocking his way at shortstop long-term.

If Romero is to continue advancing up the minor leagues, he'll have to continue evolving at the plate, since he'll never be a defensive wiz. Thanks to his first healthy offseason since being drafted, Romero has opened the year looking the best physically he has since signing with the organization. A call to Triple-A Worcester should come soon for the shortstop, especially if Mayer is called up to Boston at some point. Though, should he continue to play as he has this season, there’s a chance he could be promoted to play alongside Mayer. Either way, Romero is finally healthy and he’s showcasing himself in a way fans, the organization and himself have been waiting for.

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[TedYazPapiMookie]

Romero's future as a SS is limited due to the bias the front office has for Mayer.  As the article mentions he's likely not to play SS but he is just as unlikely to play 2B down the road since Campbell is a far superior 2B to Mayer's SS play.  It seems like Bregman likes to play for Alex so his shot at 3B is also highly unlike unless someone is willing to give Bregman more than $40Million a year.  So where does that leave Romero?  A candidate for trades or a replacement for an injured Mayer which happens often.  He's a nice league average player who could be a slightly above league average player if he continues to improve.  What he won't be is the big name Mayer is or Campbell or Anthony and he's not going to beat out Bregman or Story.  He's a utility player likely to end up in Pittsburgh or some other place where former Red Sox utility players end up.  Maybe KC or Oakland.  Best case for Boston is that he grows his value to bring back a missing piece that is urgently needed at some point in one of the team's future runs for the playoffs.

[mvp 78]

If he's a platoon 2b/3b with pop, I think it's fine. I think the k% is still too high for me, but it's nice to see him getting his bb% up this year as it was Rafaela low last year. 

[moonslav59]

He was once ranked 7th by soxprospects.com, so he had some high hopes when first joining the system. Being the 24th pick in a draft will do that, despite getting and under slot bonus..

[Larry Cook]

More importantly, arias is starting to heat up in Greenville. We have so many intriguing middle infielders that aggressive promotions are going to get more difficult. 
 

I think Romero would be a better platoon guy than Hamilton is now. 

[moonslav59]

49 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

More importantly, arias is starting to heat up in Greenville. We have so many intriguing middle infielders that aggressive promotions are going to get more difficult. 
 

I think Romero would be a better platoon guy than Hamilton is now. 

He's still got to get to the bigs, and has to spend more time at AA and AAA, before we start talking about a utility role on the Sox. He's played just over 40 games at that level. I do not think he's ML ready, now.

DHam can play decent D at 2B (only) and is a great base-runner and PR for stealing bases.

He's got others to leapfrog, too, beyond DHam and Romy:

Mayer & Grissom AAA (Sogard, Toro & Eaton)

 

[Larry Cook]

Granted. Development is still needed for Romero. 

[Nick John]

4 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

More importantly, arias is starting to heat up in Greenville. We have so many intriguing middle infielders that aggressive promotions are going to get more difficult. 
 

I think Romero would be a better platoon guy than Hamilton is now. 

I feel that Romero hasn't proven enough to me yet to be a major league guy right now. I think he will be in that discussion next season (unless he's moved at the deadline). As for Arias, I have him ranked above Romero as a prospect. 

[moonslav59]

11 hours ago, Nick John said:

I feel that Romero hasn't proven enough to me yet to be a major league guy right now. I think he will be in that discussion next season (unless he's moved at the deadline). As for Arias, I have him ranked above Romero as a prospect. 

I think everyone has Arias higher than Romero, but he likely needs more time to be ML ready than Romero.

The defense of Arias is already ML ready, IMO>

[Nick John]

10 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

I think everyone has Arias higher than Romero, but he likely needs more time to be ML ready than Romero.

The defense of Arias is already ML ready, IMO>

You're not going to see Arias for another 2 years at least. With how he's playing this year I wouldn't be surprised if he ends the season in Portland and then splits 2026 between Portland and Worcester. He's only 19 so there's no need to rush him but my prediction has him called up at some point in 2027.