Red Sox Notebook: Four Takeaways From 2025 Spring Breakout Game

The Boston Red Sox showcased their farm system during Thursday night’s MLB Spring Breakout Game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Florida.

Boston fell in a 7-5 final with power on display for the Red Sox and speed on display for the Rays.

You can also check out NESN.com’s 2025 Red Sox Prospect Series here.

Here are four takeaways from the Red Sox prospects in the breakout game:

1. Big Three Big Fly!
The focus (as usual) in this contest centered around the trio of Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell. The top prospects in the system did not disappoint for Boston.

Campbell and Mayer smashed back-to-back home runs during the third inning. Anthony followed with a mammoth homer in the fifth inning.

As if the trio needed any more exposure or hype, the Red Sox prospects sent a message to a national audience Thursday night.

2. Keep An Eye On This Lefty
Connelly Early took the ball to start the game for the Red Sox. While Boston’s depth in homegrown pitching is limited, Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham told NESN.com in a preseason interview that the lefty should be an arm to watch in the system in 2025.

Early did not allow an earned run across three innings of work with a pair of strikeouts for the Red Sox No. 10 prospect.

3. Mikey Romero Improved
Romero often gets overlooked for a player who the Red Sox selected in the first round in 2022.

That shouldn’t be the case for much longer after an improved second half of last season and an intriguing year ahead with a likely start in Double-A Portland. Romero tallied a single and a double in Thursday’s contest.

Alex Cora raved about Romero’s spring so far and could jump as another contributor in the next tier of Boston’s prospect talent.

4. Hunter Dobbins Should Debut In 2025
Dobbins reached Triple-A last season and should be a spot-start candidate as rotation depth along with Richard Fitts and Quinn Priester. Dobbins just left big-league camp but tossed two innings in the breakout game with one earned run allowed and a pair of strikeouts.