Boston Red Sox fans are hungry for an MLB postseason return after three consecutive years without playoff baseball. Although it’ll be easier said than done, a postseason berth will be more of an achievable goal if some of the Red Sox’s top prospects finally live up to the hype by cracking the big-league roster.
When it comes to Boston’s prospects, a trio sticks out above the rest. Outfielder Roman Anthony, second baseman/OF Kristian Campbell, and shortstop Marcelo Mayer are currently the Red Sox’s ‘Big 3’ prospects and could each crack manager Alex Cora’s lineup by the end of the 2025 campaign.
While there’s no denying the trio’s potential, it’s another Red Sox prospect who’s caught Cora’s eye this spring.
Red Sox News: Alex Cora Impressed by Mikey Romero in Spring Training
Hours before Wednesday’s 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, Cora revealed to NESN that SS/2B Mikey Romero has impressed the Red Sox manager throughout “the last three or four days.”
“(Romero) is a good player. Really good player,” Cora said. “Good at-bats, good defender… This is the first time I’ve had a look (at home) consistently, and I like him as a player.”
Alex Cora was asked which prospects, besides the "Big 3", have caught his eye:
"Mikey Romero is a good player… this is the first time I had a look consistently… good instincts, really good instincts." đź‘€ #RedSox pic.twitter.com/3SGhG630aq
— NESN (@NESN) March 5, 2025
Romero, 21, is currently the Red Sox’s No. 11-rated prospect with a projected MLB debut date of 2026. Having said that, Cora’s comments seem to indicate that the former 2022 first-rounder is legitimately in the mix for an Opening Day roster spot.
This spring has been the Red Sox’s first real look at Romero in action. The San Diego, CA native has been limited to just 131 minor-league appearances across the last three seasons due to lower-back injuries, however, Cora did his best to assure viewers that the promising infielder is “in good shape” and ” a lot stronger now.”
Romero is coming off a solid 2024 performance that saw him play 78 games (336 at-bats) across three minor-league levels. He finished the year with 16 home runs, 53 RBIs, and 18 walks while batting .271 with a .821 OPS.
Much to Cora and the Red Sox’s delight, Romero has built off that momentum this spring.
Although it’s a small sample size, he’s tallied two hits in three ABs while recording an RBI and one walk along the way. He didn’t suit up against the Rays, though, meaning Romero’s next chance to play ball will come Thursday against the Toronto Blue Jays at 1:07 p.m. ET.
In the meantime, the Red Sox will continue the spring slate tied for the seventh-best 2025 World Series odds (+2000) on FanDuel Sportsbook. Time will tell if Romero can step up enough to help Boston capitalize on those odds.
