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Boston Red Sox prospect who caught Alex Cora’s attention stays hot with homer

Red Sox prospect Mikey Romero bats during a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays on March 6. (Photo by Mark Taylor/Getty Images)Getty Images

Red Sox prospect Mikey Romero went 2-for-3 with a homer, double and two runs in Double-A Portland’s 3-2 loss to New Hampshire in Game 1 of a doubleheader Thursday. The two teams split the doubleheader. Portland won 3-2 in the second game.

The 2022 first round draft pick has been hitting leadoff for the Sea Dogs this season. He is batting .269 with a .388 on-base percentage, .537 slugging percentage, .925 OPS, four home runs, two doubles, two triples, 17 runs, seven RBIs, 12 walks and 25 strikeouts in 18 games (81 plate appearances).

He has started 12 games at shortstop, three games at third base, one game at second base and two games at DH.

The 21-year-old Romero caught manager Alex Cora’s attention during spring training.

Cora was asked March 5 which prospect has stood out to him other than the Big Three of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell.

“Mikey Romero,” Cora replied. “Yeah, he’s a good player. A really good player. Just a baseball player. Good at-bats. Good defender. Mikey Romero is a good player. ... He did everything this offseason to put himself in good shape. He’s a lot stronger now. But this is the first I’ve had a look (at him) consistently. And I like him as a player.”

Romero said March 14 about Cora’s shout-out: "It was awesome. I mean, to have AC talk about me and mention me as a player that he saw and recognized, I thought that was pretty cool. When your big league manager is talking about you, that’s just awesome. It’s a great feeling. I was pretty stoked to hear it.”

Romero went 0-for-2 with a walk, run and strikeout in the second game. Baseball America ranks him Boston’s No. 18 prospect.

Other Red Sox minor league updates from Wednesday:

~ Jhostynxon Garcia — also known by his nickname The Password — went 2-for-5 with a triple, walk and run in Portland’s doubleheader. The 22-year-old is batting .328 (20-for-61) with a .455 on-base percentage, .475 slugging percentage, .930 OPS, one homer, one triple, four doubles, 14 runs, 11 RBIs, 15 walks and 17 strikeouts in 18 games. Baseball America ranks him Boston’s No. 8 prospect.

~ Yordanny Monegro struck out seven batters in 3 ⅔ innings in the first game of Portland’s doubleheader. The 22-year-old allowed one run, five hits and no walks. Baseball America ranks him Boston’s No. 19 prospect.

~ Josh Winckowski started Triple-A Worcester‘s 2-1 loss to Toledo. He pitched 5 innings and allowed two runs, four hits (two homers) and one walk while striking out one. It was his first start this season in nine outings between Boston and Worcester.

~ Recently demoted Zack Kelly bounced back from his bad outing for Worcester on Sunday (eight runs allowed while recording one out). He pitched 2 scoreless and hitless innings for Worcester. He allowed two walks and struck out three.

~ Nick Burdi — who pitched for the Yankees last year and signed a minor league deal with Boston in February — continued his dominance for Worcester. He pitched a scoreless and hitless ninth inning, striking out two. He hit one batter. He has allowed just one run, eight hits and three walks while striking out 19 and in 13 ⅓ innings of relief.

~ Brandon Clarke, a 2024 fifth round pick, was dominant in his High-A Greenville debut. Promoted from Low-A Salem on Monday, the 22-year-old allowed just one unearned run and one hit while walking nobody and striking out seven in 4 ⅔ innings. Greenville lost 6-5 to Asheville. Clarke has allowed one earned run in 14 ⅓ innings this season between Salem and Greenville. He has 24 strikeouts and two walks.

~ Antonio Anderson stayed hot in Low-A Salem’s 4-2 win over Fredericksburg. He went 2-for-3 with a walk out of the leadoff spot. The 19-year-old third baseman, who Boston drafted in the third round in 2023, is 25-for-71 (.352) with a .448 on-base percentage, .479 slugging percentage, .927 OPS, one homer, six doubles, 16 runs, 14 RBIs, 14 walks and 21 strikeouts in 19 games.

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