Red Sox Prospect Marcelo Mayer Draws Intriguing Comp To Slugging Infielder

The Boston Red Sox were linked to Willy Adames this offseason before he signed a massive seven-year, $182 million contract to join the San Francisco Giants.

While the Red Sox missed out on the slugging shortstop, one MLB analyst believes they have a version of Adames already in their farm system.

ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel compared Marcelo Mayer to Adames, calling the top-tier Red Sox prospect a “lankier, lefty-hitting Willy Adames if it all clicks.”

That’s not the only strong praise Mayer received from McDaniel. The MLB expert ranked Mayer fourth among all prospects in his top 100 list, which was a higher placement than the 22-year-old received in the same exercise by MLB Pipeline (No. 12), Baseball America (No. 15) and The Athletic’s Keith Law (No. 28).

Mayer turning into Adames would be terrific news for the Red Sox. Adames has put together three 30-plus home run seasons in his seven-year career, including in 2024 when he belted 32 round-trippers to go along with 112 RBIs and a .251 batting average for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Mayer, who received a non-roster invitation to spring training this year, showed well this past season with Double-A Portland by hitting a robust .307 with eight home runs, 38 RBIs and 13 steals in 77 games. But his season ended in disappointing fashion after being called up to Triple-A Worcester on Aug. 11. Mayer never appeared in any games for Worcester as his season ended prematurely due to lower back and hip issues.

This is the second time injuries have prevented Mayer from completing a season — he was shut down in August 2023 due to a shoulder ailment. But if Mayer can stay healthy, he has the stellar talent to make a considerable impact for the Red Sox once he arrives to the big leagues.

“He projects as a potential All-Star who posts above-average on-bases percentages and hits 20-25 homers while playing shortstop,” McDaniel wrote. “His short-term big league fit looks to be second base in the second half of 2025 if everything goes to plan, eventually becoming double-play partners with fellow highly touted prospect Kristian Campbell.”