The Red Sox are loading up their farm system with center infield expertise.
With their first two picks of the 2022 MLB draft, the Red Sox went back-to-back with highschool shortstops from California. First, they took Mikey Romero out of Orange Lutheran High School with the twenty fourth total choose earlier than going again to the effectively by deciding on Cutter Coffey from Liberty High School with the forty first choose.
For a second time in three years underneath Chaim Bloom, the Red Sox bucked trade consensus with a shock first-round choose. They trusted their very own analysis in 2020 by taking second baseman Nick Yorke – who was not anticipated to be a first-rounder – at No. 17, and did the identical Sunday with the 18-year-old Romero, who was ranked No. 54 and No. 65 on Baseball America and MLB’s draft prospect rankings, respectively.
“With impressive bat-to-ball skills, Romero has the chance to perhaps be a plus hitter in time,” MLB.com wrote in its scouting report of Romero. “He not often strikes out and might use all fields. He does must proceed so as to add energy, however although he struggled a bit in opposition to velocity early in the summertime, he was among the best hitters at Perfect Game’s World Wood Bat Association World Championship in Jupiter, Fla., within the fall, displaying off bat pace, fast palms and good timing from the left facet of the plate. …
“Romero is a smooth defender with more than enough arm to go along with the range, instincts and footwork to stay at shortstop for a long time. He’s not quite Marcelo Mayer, the lefty-swinging prep shortstop from SoCal who was the No. 4 pick in the 2021 Draft, but the LSU recruit is in the conversation of best high school shortstops in this year’s class.”
Romero is the third consecutive highschool center infielder from California who the Red Sox have drafted within the first spherical since Bloom took over as chief baseball officer. Romero joined Yorke and 2021 No. 4 total choose Marcelo Mayer on that record. Romero and Mayer seem like they have already got a relationship, as the 2 gave one another a number of love on social media Sunday evening.
“From travel ball teammates to pro ball teammates!” Mayer wrote in an Instagram story.
The Red Sox had the No. 41 choose that was given as compensation after their 2021 second-round choose Jud Fabian didn’t signal. They used it on Coffey, who was an intriguing two-way prospect however is predicted to play professionally as a shortstop.
“He’s been a bit inconsistent, but the right-handed hitter has shown the ability to make loud contact with some excellent raw power to tap into,” MLB.com wrote in its scouting report of Coffey. “He acknowledges spin effectively, particularly for a younger participant, however can get beat up within the zone at occasions, with some transferring components to his swing making it harder for him to catch as much as velocity up within the zone.
“Fairly athletic and physical, Coffey plays shortstop for his high school team now, though few believe he can stay there at the next level. He could move to third, where his arm — which fires 94-mph fastballs from the mound — would play well, or he could be an offensive-minded second baseman with fringy speed.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com