Mikey Romero Has Found the Mentality That Will Earn Him His MLB Debut

[Nick John]

“There were a couple adjustments that we made just [with] my hands.”

For Mikey Romero, the 2026 season has been a roller coaster of ups and downs, as he enters the All-Star break hitting .239/.302/.379 in 71 games. Despite that, Romero had one of the strongest months of his professional career during June, when he slashed .300/.375/.571 with five home runs and 12 RBIs, showcasing the offensive talent that the Boston Red Sox have long been betting on.

That torrid run continued into July, where he would begin the month 4-for-13 before popping out a rib while attempting to do a weighted squat. Despite the team managing to pop the rib back into place, Romero would miss five games due to overall soreness and the team playing it safe. His first game back resulted in an 0-for-4 showing, but he followed it up by going 2-for-5 along with the walk-off hit in the bottom of the 10th on Sunday’s homestand finale.

“Early in the year, I hit a lot of balls hard that weren’t falling. The launch angle I was hitting them at I felt like they were more like a line drive, right at people. Which is fine. But I feel like we kind of tried to get me to a spot where the balls I were hitting hard were more in the air so they would result in doubles and homers. The adjustment we made was moving my hands a little bit closer,” Romero explained when asked about his month-long success.

The altered hand placement allows him to turn a bit better while swinging. He also credited a more patient approach at the plate for his success, as he walked nine times in 19 June games after walking just 15 times in his first 47 games.

The infielder has stayed confident despite the early season slump. After opening the year with a 10-game hitting streak, he saw his monthly numbers plummet to a stat line of .179/.222/.310 with 20 strikeouts to four walks in 20 May games. That confidence paid off thanks to his strong June and the early results from five games in July. It's the kind of performance that could possibly put him back on track to play in the majors for Boston.

“If you look at my underlying stuff, I’m one of the best hitters in minor-league baseball. But, obviously, that’s not how the game works. We want the stat lines to look and finally seeing stuff drop [for a hit], just for the mental [health=], that’s good. I hit the ball hard, but seeing it drop in and find holes, it’s been good.”

Romero has been working on other aspects of his offense that may not show up in the box score, mentioning that he has worked on cutting down on his strikeouts. That really showed up in June, as he struck out just 15 times after doing so 40 times in his previous 43 games.

Defensively, it’s been a season of learning. After the infielder spent spring training working with Isiah Kiner-Falefa and former manager Alex Cora to better learn second base, he’s taken those lessons to heart. And despite switching between second base and third base, Romero feels comfortable at both thanks to the vast number of innings he’s played since last season.

“You’re going to get hit stuff harder at you [at third base]. For me, you’re just reacting at third base whereas at second base you have a little more time to get your feet going in the right direction. I’ve played so many innings and gotten so many balls at each position, I feel comfortable. The throw is different and that’ the biggest difference. Second base you can get into a habit of slinging the ball over and then you go to third base, and you are screwed a little because you gotta come back over the top. I’ve been focusing this year at second base is to feed from over the top and not just sling it over there.”

Romero understands the ups and downs of a season; he experienced it when injured in 2023 along with coming back from that same injury in 2024. Last year, he had a great offensive season with Portland that saw some struggles upon his promotion to Worcester. If there’s anything he’s learned from over the years, it's that getting better is a process without linear development.

“You can’t get too high or too low. I’ve been coming in every day and keeping the same mindset. Even if it’s frustrating, if I have an 0-for-4 and a couple barrels, it’s part of the game. And it’s not going to be the last time that happens.”

View full article