July 17, 2022 at 9:39 PM
Red Sox select Mikey Romero with the 24th overall pick
This is the third straight year that Boston has selected an infielder from California in the first round of the draft, following Nick Yorke in 2020 and Marcelo Mayer in 2021. BA lists Romero at 5-foot-11 and 168 pounds, and he is committed to LSU. Romero's calling card is his advanced hit tool, which is considered one of the best in the high school class. While he has sure hands at shortstop, fringe-average speed and a fringe-average arm make a move to second base possible down the line.
Opinions are mixed on if his fluid left-handed swing will develop into average power or better. BA puts a below-average grade on his power, while MLB.com feels it could be average. Based on his pre-draft rankings and where the Red Sox picked him, he is a candidate for an under-slot signing bonus. With two more selections coming on day one at picks 41 and 79, the Red Sox may be able to take a top talent there who has fallen due to signability concerns.
Orange Lutheran High School is a powerhouse program, with Gerrit Cole, Cole Winn, and Garrett Mitchell all being past graduates. Both of Romero's older sisters were star softball players in college, and he is reported to have excellent makeup.
According to Orange Lutheran's MaxPreps page, Romero batted .372 with a .419 OBP this past season, scoring 24 runs and adding 26 RBI in 30 games played. He had 14 extra-base hits in his senior campaign, including four home runs.
Scouting info was compiled from industry publications including Baseball America, Perfect Game USA, ESPN, FanGraphs, The Athletic, and MLB.com.
Photo Credit: Mikey Romero by Perfect Game USA.