Red Sox's Top Prospect Marcelo Mayer Draws MVP Comparison As Stock Rises

Boston has an elite prospect in their system

Scott Neville | Feb 6, 2023

Red Sox's Top Prospect Marcelo Mayer Draws MVP Comparison As Stock Rises /

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Most prospects have a rocky path to the big leagues -- regardless of their Major League Baseball Draft status.

There still are plenty of hurdles to jump before making his debut but thus far Boston Red Sox appear to have an exception to the standard.

Shortstop prospect Marcelo Mayer has been as advertised at each stop and could glide into the big leagues.

Mayer received national hype before he was selected No. 4 overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, but he's gaining even more steam as he trends closer to an MLB debut.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel pegged Mayer as the No. 7 prospect in the league and attached a favorable comparison. The 20-year-old reminds McDaniel of Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich, but at shortstop.

In other words, a former National League MVP with three Silver Sluggers, a pair of Batting Titles and a Gold Glove -- but at a more premier position. Not a bad draw for the young kid.

Here is an excerpt of McDaniels breakdown:

"Mayer has the choice to lean more into power or contact, but either way he will come with defensive value, like Yelich did in the outfield," McDaniels wrote Wednesday. "I'll split the difference and call both Mayer's hit and power tools 55-grade ability (.270 with 20-25 homers), but either could also be a 60, and there are no concerns that he can post at least average defensive performances at shortstop.

"Mayer isn't a burner and isn't traditionally explosive in the 'I'd love to see this guy at an NFL combine' way, but he has all the little baseball-specific skills that are required to be a perennial All-Star."

Mayer has hit .279 with 53 extra-base hits including 16 home runs, 70 RBIs and a .872 OPS in 117 career minor-league games between Rookie Ball (26 games), Single-A Salem (66 games) and High-A Greenville (25 games).

The sweet-swinging lefty also posted an encouraging 134-to-83 strikeout-to-walk ratio and has stolen 24 bases in 25 attempts -- despite not being known as a speedster.

The Yelich comparison is likely due to his frame and swing -- both of which compare favorably to the face of the Brewers franchise.

Considering Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and company decided to let superstar shortstop Xander Bogaerts walk, Mayer will need to be a perennial All-Star to justify the aforementioned decision.

Mayer will be one of the most interesting prospects to follow from spring training through the regular season. Another strong season could have him on track for an MLB debut in 2024.

More MLB: Red Sox Reportedly Swing Trade For Right-Hander To Bolster Pitching Depth

Published Feb 6, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu