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Red Sox Top Prospect Excelling

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It’s never easy being an MLB organization’s number-one prospect. With that tag comes increased expectations, a close-watching crowd, and a lot of pressure. But for Boston’s top prospect, Marcelo Mayer, none of that seems to be bothering him of late. Mayer is one of three Red Sox talents currently ranked in the top 30 of MLB.com’s prospect rankings, joining outfielder Roman Anthony and catcher Kyle Teel. He’s played just like that thus far. Mayer is excelling in a highly anticipated 2024 season.

Red Sox Top Prospect Excelling

Marcelo Mayer’s Road To Red Sox Top Prospect

Boston drafted Mayer with the fourth pick of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, California. Considered one of the top high schoolers selected, Mayer was rated as MLB Pipeline’s top-rated 2021 Draft Prospect. He was signed and immediately sent to FCL Red Sox, Boston’s Florida Complex League team. In 26 games, the infielder showed his promise and batted .275 with three home runs, 17 RBI, and 15 walks. Things were off and running for Mayer’s professional career. He entered his second year touted as the 14th-best prospect in baseball. 

That production spilled into his 2022 season. Playing in Single-A (Salem Red Sox) and High-A (Greenville Drive), Mayer appeared in 91 contests. He batted a strong .280 with 13 homers and a near-.400 on-base percentage. His .888 OPS signaled Mayer’s ability to hit for power and contact. The first-round pick missed ten days with an injury in late May but rebounded nicely. There wasn’t much to complain about through his first two MiLB campaigns. Mayer walked into 2023 as the ninth-best prospect, ahead of Elly De La Cruz, Jackson Holliday, and Eury Pérez. 

Mayer’s first real obstacle in the minor leagues came with the new year. He began the year on fire, slashing .337/.414.582 in his first month or so on the diamond. But in early May, he suffered a left shoulder impingement while running the bases. He didn’t miss time and continued with Greenville until he earned a promotion to Double-A (Portland Sea Dogs). Mayer’s stats began to slip, batting just .190 after his injury. The Red Sox saw enough and shut their top prospect down for the season in early August. He ended the year with a .236 combined batting average and a low .189 rate with Portland. Despite the struggles, Mayer stayed atop Boston’s rankings. He entered 2024 as MLB’s 15th best prospect, but work needed to be done.

Marcelo Mayer Excelling In Highly Anticipated 2024 Season

Mayer came into 2024 on a Portland team that included fellow Red Sox top prospects Roman Anthony (#2), Kyle Teel (#3), Wikelman Gonzalez (#5), and Nick Yorke (#6). The team was so stacked that it was ranked third in MLB.com’s Most Loaded Minor League Teams list. Mayer led the way and had the highest expectations. It’s pretty safe to say that, up to this point, he’s lived up to them. 

 

Mayer is on pace to have a very strong 2024 campaign. He’s batting .307 with a high .850 OPS. Mayer has seven bombs, 36 RBI, and 13 stolen bases. His doubles stats lead all Eastern League players by a pretty good margin. Just six players have 16 or more two-baggers. Mayer tops them all with 25 of his own. And it’s been a much more consistent season thus far for him. After falling off last year after a talented start, Mayer has strung together three consecutive positive months to begin 2024. 

Mayer’s Momentum

Mayer was hot right out of the gate this season, recording hits in his first ten games. He exited the streak, batting .366. Mayer cooled off for just three games before dominating once again, tallying his second three-knock contest of the season on April 24. Mayer’s seven total bases against the Hartford Yard Dogs are season-high for the shortstop. He ended April with a .308 average and continued his production into May. That earned him a rise to the 10th best prospect in all of baseball. Mayer was already nearly at 20 doubles for the season once June rolled around. 

 

Boston’s top prospect had six hits in his first four games of June. He had four consecutive multi-hit contests in the middle of the month, batting nearly .530 during the span. Mayer’s season average eclipsed .315 just days later and, despite taking a slight dip, is still phenomenal today. He ended June batting .333 in the month with a .882 OPS. His only issue was his power, which dipped in productivity. But on June 30, Mayer changed that, smashing his first homer since May 29 in a win over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

 

Where Does Marcelo Mayer Go From Here?

It’s only a matter of time before Mayer finds himself in Triple-A with the Worcester Red Sox. In all honesty, he probably should have been there a month ago. Boston has no reason to rush the 21-year-old, which gives it the luxury to allow further development. But it’s becoming abundantly clear that Mayer is already paving his way towards the majors.

The Red Sox have had a shortstop problem for multiple years, specifically regarding Trevor Story’s health. Having someone with as much talent and promise as Mayer coming up behind him has to make Boston feel a lot better about their future. That’ll become increasingly true if he continues his current production under the spotlight.

Main Photo Credits: WooSox Photo/Ashley Green / USA TODAY NETWORK

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