Red Sox Top Prospect Earns Highest Individual Ranking, Comparison To 32-HR Slugger
![Boston Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer talks with reporters during the Red Sox Development Program inside the Sox clubhouse at Fenway Park on Wednesday. Boston Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer talks with reporters during the Red Sox Development Program inside the Sox clubhouse at Fenway Park on Wednesday.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_6000,h_3375,x_0,y_308/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_red_sox/01jjsaf3fhgfqtft61hp.jpg)
It's crazy to say, for those who have followed Boston Red Sox prospects closely through the last few years, but Marcelo Mayer may be getting overlooked.
Once the number-four pick in the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft, Mayer held the consensus top spot on Red Sox prospect lists for the first two years of his minor-league career. But in 2024, Mayer lost multiple months to injury for the second-straight year, and other prospects surged up the ladder.
With Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell both pushing for the Red Sox's Opening Day roster, Mayer has dropped to third on the majority of Boston farm system rankings. He's still a highly-regarded prospect, but some are beginning to have their concerns about the young shortstop.
ESPN's Kiley McDaniel, however, sang a different tune when he released his most recent Top 100 prospects list.
On Wednesday, McDaniel's new list placed Mayer at number four overall, his highest individual ranking of the offseason. MLB.com had him at No. 12, and Baseball America put him 15th.
"The 2024 season was a step forward, with scouts reporting that he had more life to his game physically, with better run times, better range on defense and looser movements," McDaniel wrote.
The most interesting part of McDaniel's evaluation, though, was the comparison he saddled Mayer with: a "Lankier, lefty-hitting Willy Adames if it all clicks."
Adames hit 32 home runs for the Milwaukee Brewers last season, earning himself a $188 million contract from the San Francisco Giants. If Mayer can ever provide close to that level of power output at the shortstop position, he'll add a new dynamic component to the Boston offense.
In a perfect world, we'll be talking about Mayer's brilliant second-half MLB debut and bright 2026 outlook by this time next year. If he can stay healthy for the first time in three years, his talent will have the opportunity to shine through.
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