Marcelo Mayer, Pink Sox prime prospect, embracing his newest cease with Portland Sea Canines

Pink Sox

Marcelo Mayer made his residence debut with the Sea Canines at Hadlock Discipline on Tuesday night time.

Marcelo Mayer, the Red Sox' top draft pick in 2021, is playing his first full professional season with the Class A Salem Red Sox in Virginia.
Marcelo Mayer is the youngest Sox draftee to earn a name as much as Double-A Portland since 2009. Salem Pink Sox

The Mayer household acquired some nice information final week.

After a blistering stretch on the plate with Excessive-A Greenville, Marcelo Mayer earned the call-up to Double-A Portland.

It was an anticipated step ahead for the Pink Sox’ prime prospect, however one nonetheless properly forward of schedule for the 20-year-old shortstop.

The one complication for the uber-skilled infielder? His mother and father, Enrique and Myriam, had already flown from San Diego to Greenville to observe their son play. As a substitute of settling in for a week-plus of video games with the Drive, Marcelo wanted to make a trek as much as Somerset, New Jersey to affix the Sea Canines on the street.

“Packed all my stuff that night time,” Mayer stated of the whirlwind that adopted his promotion to Double-A. “After which round 11 within the morning, drove 14 hours to Somerset … “Fortunately my dad was with me. So he drove a lot of the approach.”

Such is the lifetime of a younger prospect seeking to carve a path up the large leagues.

Since Sox spring coaching wrapped up in March, the odometer in Mayer’s automotive has been about as busy as its proprietor — carrying him from Florida to South Carolina, New Jersey, and now Maine.

And although Mayer’s final objective is to anchor the Pink Sox infield at Fenway Park, MLB.com’s fifth-ranked prospect isn’t trying previous his newest cease with the Sea Canines. 

“I’ve seen no motive for this child to vary who he’s and the way he goes about issues,” Sea Canines supervisor Chad Epperson stated of Mayer. “We now have such a superb help system on and off subject. He’s so targeted on what he’s doing. I overheard him say, ‘I’m not nervous about Boston, I’m in Portland proper now and that is the place I must be.’”

And on Tuesday night time, Mayer made a stable first impression in entrance of a brand new set of followers at Hadlock Discipline.

Mayer’s stat line might not pop off the field rating following Portland’s 6-2 win over the Akron RubberDucks, ending 0-for-3 on the plate. However Mayer did drive in a run within the backside of the third with a sacrifice fly out to proper subject earlier than driving one other ball out to deep middle within the fifth. Because the relay man, he additionally assisted in a tag-out of Akron’s Petey Halpin whereas attempting to stretch out a triple within the fifth.

“His numbers are gonna care for themselves as a result of he’s that good of a ballplayer,” Epperson stated of Mayer. “His IQ of baseball is off the charts as properly. He’s actually clever.”

It doesn’t take lengthy to see why the Sox have been over the moon when Mayer fell to them with the fourth general choose within the 2021 MLB Draft.

Projected as a possible five-tool participant, Mayer’s bat velocity and clean swing assist him drive the ball with ease, even with simply two years of professional ball beneath his belt. In his final month of Excessive-A motion, Mayer batted .321 with seven doubles and 6 residence runs with Greenville.

Even at 6-foot-2 and 188 kilos, Mayer’s defensive recreation is fluid. The Chula Vista, California, native can cowl floor in a rush, gobbling up potential seeing-eye singles and reeling off a nifty double play on Tuesday with second baseman and fellow prime prospect Nick Yorke. His velocity will not be elite, however he has already swiped three baggage in simply six video games with Portland.

However for Epperson, Mayer’s most spectacular attribute lies in his means and willingness to regulate and study briefly order, relatively than depend on his high-end expertise to raise him out of prolonged lulls.

Regardless that Mayer is on the quick observe to the large leagues, he’s nonetheless in comparatively uncharted territory. Having turned 20 on Dec. 12, Mayer is the youngest Pink Sox draftee to get referred to as as much as Double-A since Casey Kelly and Anthony Rizzo each earned the nod again in 2009.

After opening his Double-A profession with an 0-for-16 hunch in Somerset, Mayer rebounded with a 3-for-4 exhibiting with a double and two RBI on Sunday.

“The man’s acquired distinctive instruments,” Epperson stated of Mayer. “And he’s proven it. I imply, he made some actually, actually good performs. And he made some actually exhausting performs look straightforward. He’s enjoyable to observe. Everyone is aware of who he’s, proper? In order that they’re gonna pitch to him somewhat — they’re gonna convey their A-game each time he steps within the field.”

For a blue-chip expertise who was enjoying high-school opponents simply two years in the past, Mayer has loads of stress resting on his shoulders.

Boston isn’t anticipating their prized prospect to punch his ticket to the present in 2023. However after letting Xander Bogaerts stroll in free company this offseason, the writing is on the wall that Boston envisions Mayer as their franchise shortstop of the long run.

However Mayer isn’t trying too far forward, not at this juncture of his younger profession.

For now, he’s protecting his toes grounded in his new residence. The to-do record he’s penned is easy, and much from sweeping.

His first job up in Maine? Discover a reliable new seafood spot within the Previous Port neighborhood.

The Highroller Lobster Co. has been the early favourite.

“We went downtown, ate some lobster rolls that have been fairly hearth,” Mayer stated of his first night in Portland. “Good first impression. … I really had one in Boston after I went to signal and I didn’t prefer it. So I used to be skeptical about attempting it once more. However fortunately, I preferred this, so now I’ve a great place to go.”

Subsequent on the record for Mayer? Get higher — one at-bat at a time.

“He’s acquired an actual large understanding of who he’s. … I don’t suppose he’s enthusiastic about Fenway Park or Worcester proper now,” Epperson stated. “I believe he’s enthusiastic about what he’s acquired to do right now to arrange for this recreation. And I truthfully consider that’s the best way he goes about it.”