Tag: mikey romero

Mikey Romero, Roman Anthony enter Baseball America’s top 10 Red Sox prospects rankings

Two members of the Red Sox’ 2022 draft class have entered the organization’s top 10 prospects rankings, at least according to one prominent publication.

On Wednesday, Baseball America released the top 10 prospects in Boston’s farm system heading into the 2023 season. While the list is headlined by Marcelo Mayer, 2022 first-rounder Mikey Romero and 2022 second-rounder Roman Anthony both made the cut.

Romero, taken by the Sox with the 24th overall pick out of Orange Lutheran High School (Orange, Calif.) over the summer, is now regarded by Baseball America as the organization’s No. 5 prospect. The 18-year-old infielder forwent his commitment to Louisiana State University by signing with Boston for $2.3 million in July.

Upon putting pen to paper at Fenway Park, Romero began his professional career in the Florida Complex League. The left-handed hitter batted .250/.372/.417 with one home run and six RBIs in 10 games with the FCL Red Sox before earning a promotion to Low-A Salem in late August.

Once there, Romero ended his first pro season on a strong note by slashing .349/.364/.581 with four doubles, three triples, 11 runs driven in, six runs scored, one stolen base, one walk, and 11 strikeouts across nine games (44 plate appearances. Between the two affiliates, the 6-foot-1, 175-pounder logged 49 innings at second base and 66 innings at shortstop.

Romero, who turns 19 in January, is projected to return to Salem for the start of the 2023 season next spring. He “has a sweet lefthanded swing with little stride or wasted motion. His barrel is a magnet for pitches all over the zone, producing gap-to-gap, line-drive contact.”

On the other side of the ball, Romero possesses “good instincts and clean actions but with limited range” at shortstop. “There’s a chance he stays at shortstop as an average defender, but more likely he becomes an average second baseman with the ability to provide fringe defense on the other side of second. He’s a slightly below-average runner,” per his Baseball America scouting report.

Anthony, meanwhile, was taken 79th overall — which was the compensatory pick the Red Sox received after losing Eduardo Rodriguez in free agency last November — out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. He is now regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s eighth-ranked prospect.

In similar fashion to Romero, Anthony forwent his commitment to the University of Mississippi and signed with Boston for $2.5 million at Fenway Park in July. The left-handed hitting 18-year-old made his pro debut in the Florida Complex League and batted .429/.475/.486 with two doubles and seven RBIs in 10 games before joining Romero in Salem towards the end of August.

With the Salem Sox, Anthony went 7-for-37 (.189) at the plate with two doubles, five runs driven in, two runs scored, five walks, and four strikeouts over 10 games. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder saw playing time at all three outfield positions, though eight of his 10 starts with Salem came in center.

Anthony, who does not turn 19 until next May, is also expected to return to Salem for the start of the 2023 season. According to his Baseball America scouting report, the native Floridian “shows plus to double-plus raw power and can clear fences with ease.” He also ” controls at-bats in impressive fashion, particularly for a player with his stout frame. While his raw power is obvious, there’s less consensus around Anthony’s pure hitting ability. He showed swing-and-miss tendencies during the showcase circuit in high school but made adjustments during the spring and also performed well in a brief pro debut.

Defensively, Anthony “already has size and strength but projects to get bigger. Anthony’s ability to maintain mobility in his next 15 pounds represents a key that will determine whether he stays in center field, though the safest bet would be an eventual move to right field. Still, his bat projects well in a corner, as does his arm.”

Beyond Mayer, Romero, and Anthony, Triston Casas came in at No. 2, Ceddanne Rafaela came in at No. 3, Miguel Bleis came in at No. 4, Nick Yorke came in at No. 6, Bryan Mata came in at No. 7, Brandon Walter came in at No. 9, and Eddinson Paulino came in at No. 10 on Baseball America’s list.

(Picture of Mikey Romero: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

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Red Sox have 0.8 percent chance to land No. 1 pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox did not finish with the worst record in baseball this season, yet they will have a chance to pick first in next year’s amateur draft.

On Monday, Major League Baseball announced that the first-ever draft lottery will take place during next month’s Winter Meetings in San Diego. Thanks to the newly-implemented collective bargaining agreement, the first six picks of the 2023 draft will now be determined via lottery as opposed to the reverse order of the previous year’s standings.

Coming off a 78-84 2022 campaign that saw them fall short of the postseason, the Red Sox would be in line to receive the 14th overall pick in the 2023 draft under the old collective bargaining agreement. They now have the 14th-best odds to obtain the No. 1 pick next July.

Boston will be in the mix with the 17 other non-playoff teams for the top overall selection. The teams with the three worst records in 2022 — the 55-107 Nationals, the 60-102 Athletics, and 62-100 Pirates — have the best chance (16.5) to win the top pick in the lottery.

From there, the Reds (13.2 percent) have the fourth-best, the Royals (10.0 percent) have the fifth-best, the Tigers (7.5 percent) have the sixth-best, the Rangers (5.5 percent) have the seventh-best, the Rockies (3.9 percent) have the eighth-best, the Marlins (2.7 percent) have the ninth-best, the Angels (1.8 percent) have the 10th-best, the Diamondbacks (1.4 percent) have the 11th-best, the Cubs (1.1 percent) have the 12th-best, the Twins (0.9 percent) have the 13th-best, the Red Sox (0.8 percent), have the 14th-best, the White Sox (0.6 percent) have the 15th-best, the Giants (0.5 percent) have the 16th-best, the Orioles (0.4 percent) have the 17th-best, and the Brewers (0.2 percent) possess the 18th-best odds.

In addition to having a 0.8 percent chance to land the top pick, the Red Sox have a 0.9 percent chance to pick second, a 1.0 percent chance to pick third, a 1.2 percent chance to pick fourth, a 1.4 percent chance to pick fifth, and a 1.7 percent chance to pick sixth, according to Tankathon.com.

If Boston’s No. 1 selection falls out of the top six in the lottery, it would pick 14th overall. Tankathon.com relays that the Sox have a 78.9 percent chance to pick 14th, a 13.6 percent chance to pick 15th, and a 0.6 percent chance to pick 16th.

While it is extremely unlikely the Red Sox come away with the top overall pick (something that has never happened in franchise history) on December 6, they have been able to use the first round of past drafts to strengthen their improving farm system.

Under chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and vice president of player development and amateur scouting Toboni, Boston has taken infielders Mikey Romero, Marcelo Mayer, and Nick Yorke with its first pick in each of the last three drafts. All three Californians currently sit within the top 12 of Baseball America’s Red Sox prospects rankings.

(Picture of Mikey Romero: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox first-round pick Mikey Romero hits first professional home run in seventh Florida Complex League game

Red Sox infield prospect Mikey Romero hit the first home run of his professional career in the Florida Complex League on Friday afternoon.

Batting leadoff and starting at shortstop for the FCL Red Sox in their contest against the FCL Twins at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Romero’s milestone homer came with one out in the bottom half of the ninth inning.

Trailing 4-0 at that point, Freddy Valdez drew a one-out walk off Twins reliever Cole Bellair while Luis Ravelo followed with a groundball single to put runners at the corners for Romero.

Romero, in turn, promptly cranked a three-run home run to right field to trim the deficit to 4-3. That would go on to be Friday’s final score as the FCL Red Sox dropped to 33-19 on the season.

Following Friday’s 1-for-5 performance, the left-handed hitter is now batting .200 (5-for-25)/.310/.400 with two doubles, one homer, four RBIs, three runs scored, four walks, and two strikeouts over seven games (29 plate appearances) to begin his professional career.

The Red Sox selected Romero with the 24th overall pick in last month’s amateur draft out of Orange Lutheran High School in Orange, Calif. Originally committed to play college baseball at Louisiana State University, the 18-year-old signed with Boston on July 25 for an under-slot $2.3 million. He made his pro debut on August 9 and is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 12 prospect in the organization.

(Picture of Mikey Romero: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox officially sign top draft picks Mikey Romero and Cutter Coffey

The Red Sox have officially signed 2022 first-round and second-round draft picks Mikey Romero and Cutter Coffey, the team announced earlier Monday afternoon.

According to The Athletic’s Chad Jennings, Romero — who was taken with the 24th overall selection — has received a $2.3 million bonus while Coffey — who was taken with the 41st overall selection — has received a $1.8475 million bonus. Boston was rewarded with the 41st pick in this year’s draft after failing to sign Jud Fabian last summer.

Romero, 18, was regarded by Baseball America as the 54th-ranked prospect in this year’s draft class. The left-handed hitting shortstop batted .372/.419/.659 with four home runs, 26 RBIs, 24 runs scored, and one stolen base in 30 games (105 plate appearances) as a senior at Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High School.

Coffey, also 18, was regarded by Baseball America as the 65th-ranked prospect in this year’s draft class. A right-handed hitting shortstop from Bakersfield, Calif., Coffey slashed .442/.581/1.021 with 12 home runs, 32 RBIs, 48 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases over 31 games (129 plate appearances) at Liberty High School.

Romero, who has two older sisters — Sierra and Sydney — who were college softball stars at Michigan and Oklahoma, was previously committed to play college baseball at Louisiana State University. He will instead forego his commitment by signing with Boston for $2.3 million, which is approximately $676,400 under-slot.

Coffey, on the other hand, was once a two-way player who was projected by evaluators to be better as a pitcher. Like Romero, Coffey was also committed to play his college baseball at a big school in the University of Texas at Austin. He, too, will forego his commitment by signing an under-slot deal with the Red Sox.

Both Romero and Coffey spent the weekend in Boston and are expected to be introduced to the media at Fenway Park prior to Monday’s game against the Guardians.

(Picture of Mikey Romero: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Red Sox select Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School outfielder Roman Anthony with 79th overall pick in 2022 MLB Draft

With the 79th overall pick in the 2022 MLB first-year player draft, the Red Sox have selected Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.) outfielder Roman Anthony.

Boston was rewarded with the 79th pick in this year’s draft after losing left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez to the Detroit Tigers in free agency back in November.

Anthony, 18, is regarded by Baseball America as the 72nd-ranked prospect in this year’s draft class. The Florida native is currently committed to play college baseball at the University of Mississippi.

In his senior season with Stoneman Douglas — a high school that has produced the likes of former Red Sox prospect Anthony Rizzo — the left-handed hitting Anthony batted .520/.589/.980 to go along with 14 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 40 RBIs, 36 runs scored, 21 stolen bases, 21 walks, and 15 strikeouts over 32 games spanning 129 trips to the plate.

Per his Baseball America scouting report, Anthony “looks the part of a developing young slugger with wide shoulders and present strength that shows up in the form of massive, 400-plus foot home runs. His raw power is easily plus, and when he catches a pitch on the barrel, there are few players in the class who can send a baseball as far as he can. However, Anthony struggled with swing-and-miss issues over the showcase circuit, which raised questions about his pure hitting ability.”

Defensively, the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder has served as the Eagles’ everyday centerfielder. However, due to his frame, he will likely “move to a corner outfield position in the future, but he moves well underway and is a savvy and aggressive baserunner currently.”

Anthony, who does not turn 19 until next May, becomes the third high schooler the Red Sox have drafted in the first three rounds of the 2022 draft, joining prep infielders Mikey Romero and Cutter Coffey.

The recommended slot value for the 79th overall selection in this year’s draft comes in at approximately $820,000. Boston will have until August 1 to sign its draft picks.

On that note, Day 1 of the MLB Draft has concluded. It will pick up at 12 p.m. eastern time on Monday with rounds 3-10. Rounds 11-20 will take place on Tuesday.

(Picture of Roman Anthony: Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox select Liberty High School infielder Cutter Coffey with second-round pick in 2022 MLB Draft

With the 41st overall pick in the 2022 MLB first-year player draft, the Red Sox have selected Liberty High School (Bakersfield, Calif.) shortstop Cutter Coffey.

The Red Sox were rewarded with the 41st selection in this year’s amateur draft after failing to sign second-round pick Jud Fabian out of the University of Florida last summer.

Coffey, 18, is regarded by Baseball America as the No. 65 prospect in this year’s draft class, 11 spots behind first-rounder Mikey Romero, who hails from California himself.

Unlike Romero, though, Coffey hits from the right side of the plate. In his senior season with the Patriots, Coffey batted a stout .442/.581/1.021 to go along with 13 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 32 RBIs, 42 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 28 walks, and 17 strikeouts over 31 games spanning 129 trips to the plate.

Per his Baseball America scouting report, Coffey “made significant improvements as a hitter this spring” and is an “excellent athlete.” He “has average raw power to his pull side and began making more contact this spring to tap into it, but whether he’ll make enough contact remains an open question. At times he flashes the bat speed, strength and ability to make adjustments to project to be an above-average hitter, while at others he takes long, jagged swings that lack timing and balance and invite questions about whether he will be even a below-average hitter.”

On the other side of the ball, it should be noted that Coffey was a two-way player who also pitched in high school, though it seems like he is fully focused on being a position player now. According to Baseball America, the 6-foot-2, 190-pounder “has the natural actions for shortstop and a good internal clock. He has plenty of arm strength for the position and demonstrates an advanced feel for manipulating his arm stroke. His lateral range is a tick below-average, but he has a chance to stay at shortstop and projects to be an impact defender at either second or third base if he has to move.”

Coffey, who does not turn 19 until next May, is currently committed to play college baseball at the University of Texas. On that note, Baseball America’s Kyle Glaser reports that the infielder is “widely expected to sign for significantly above slot.” Glaser also relays that Romero is “expected to be an under-slot signing.”

The recommended slot value for the 41st overall pick in this year’s draft comes in at roughly $1,905,500 million. The Red Sox will make one more selection at No. 79 on Sunday before Day 1 of the draft comes to a close.

(Picture of Cutter Coffey: Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox select Orange Lutheran High School shortstop Mikey Romero with top pick in 2022 MLB Draft

With the 24th overall pick in the 2022 MLB first-year player draft, the Red Sox have selected Orange Lutheran High School (Calif.) shortstop Mikey Romero.

Romero, 18, is regarded by Baseball America as the 54th-ranked prospect in this year’s draft class. The California native is currently committed to play college baseball at Louisiana State University.

In 30 games with the Lancers this spring, the left-handed hitting Romero batted .372/.419/.659 with five doubles, five triples, four home runs, 26 RBIs, 24 runs scored, one stolen base, eight walks, and seven strikeouts over 105 trips to the plate.

Per his Baseball America scouting report, Romero “has a pretty, natural left-handed swing and an advanced feel for hitting. He identifies pitches well and frequently gets the barrel to the ball to make consistent contact, including against high-end velocity and quality breaking stuff. Though Romero makes lots of contact, it’s often soft contact. He has a slender build and lacks the strength to do damage even when he squares balls up. He needs to make substantial strength gains to reach his potential as an above-average hitter with below-average power, with opinions sharply divided on whether he will be able to.”

Defensively, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound infielder is “an instinctive defender” at shortstop, though there are some questions surrounding his future at the position. According to Baseball America, Romero possesses “sure hands and a quick transfer, but his range is limited by his fringe-average speed and his fringy arm strength makes it difficult for him to make throws moving to his right. He is likely to move to second base or play a utility role.”

Romero, who does not turn 19 until January, attended the same high school as Yankees ace Gerrit Cole and Brewers top prospect Garrett Mitchell. Under chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and amateur scouting director Paul Toboni, the Red Sox have made a habit of taking California-born prepsters in the first round of the draft.

Flash back to 2020, Boston selected Archbishop Mitty High School (San Jose, Calif.) second baseman Nick Yorke with the 17th overall pick. Last year, Eastlake High School (Chula Vista, Calif.) shortstop Marcelo Mayer was taken with the fourth overall selection.

Yorke wound up signing an under-slot deal with the Sox at $2.7 million, while Mayer signed at the recommended slot value of $6.664 million. This year, the slot value attached to the 24th overall pick in the draft comes in at roughly $2.975 million.

The Red Sox will have until August 1 to reach an agreement with Romero, as well as the rest of their draft picks. They will make two more selections (No. 41 and No. 79) before Day 1 of the MLB Draft concludes.

(Picture of Mikey Romero via his Instagram)