LOS ANGELES — No stranger to draft-day surprises, the Red Sox once again defied industry expectation by selecting high school shortstop Mikey Romero with their first-round selection, the No. 24 overall pick in the draft.
Romero, 18, excelled at Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High School in 2022, showing an advanced lefthanded swing with modest power grades. The LSU commit hit .372/.419/.659 with four homers in 30 games as a senior.
He was seen as a likely candidate for the second round, but the Sox — not afraid to buck consensus, as demonstrated with their selection of Nick Yorke in 2020 — took him with their top pick.