Red Sox Prospect Marcelo Mayer Solidifying MLB Call-Up Case In Triple-A

Marcelo Mayer is doing everything it takes to get the Boston Red Sox to pick up the phone and promote the 22-year-old from Triple-A Worcester.

Boston entered this season with an issue that most teams would kill to have: the Red Sox have an overflow of candidates to play multiple positions and fill the big league roster. That includes Mayer, the organization’s fourth overall selection in the 2021 MLB Draft. Mayer spent the past week of his first campaign at the Triple-A level tearing it up the plate with a sample size that’s both jaw-dropping and helps solidify his case for a promotion.

Mayer was named the International League Player of the Week for hitting .450 with three home runs and three doubles, while driving in 12 RBIs and totaling 12 bases over his last six games with Worcester. It took Mayer 77 games with Double-A Portland to reach eight home runs last season, but now after just 23 appearances with the WooSox, Mayer has already gone deep eight times this season.

The concerns around Mayer’s previous lumbar strain that sidelined him before he ever got a chance to showcase himself at Polar Park last season have quickly drifted in the wind. Mayer has become a highlight-producing machine, leaving those in Worcester oohing and ahhing while those at Fenway Park eagerly await his arrival.

“Obviously, balance means a lot to us offensively,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said back in March, per The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey. “Like I said before, (Mayer and Roman Anthony) are an injury away, probably, from the big leagues, but I actually think it’s the other way around, they’re going to push us to make decisions.”

Worcester’s shortstop has made it incredibly easy to make the case for an immediate promotion. Mayer is hitting .280/.324/.548 with 26 hits (11 for extra bases) and 34 RBIs in 93 at-bats. It’s easy to believe that had the Red Sox not found themselves with an overcrowded options list, Mayer would’ve already been promoted. Nevertheless, the team isn’t rushing through the process even though the case continues to solidify itself through each passing day — and viral social media highlights.

Mayer has all the support and at this point, it’s just a matter of time.

“He’s a tremendous talent,” WooSox hitting coach Doug Clark said, per MassLive’s Katie Morrison-O’Day. “We can’t wait for him to get what he deserves, and that’s to be a champion up there with Boston.”

The Red Sox promoted 22-year-old Kristian Campbell immediately after spring training and added him to the Opening Day roster. Campbell was named the starting second baseman and has since shown flashes in the infield and outfield. But Boston also has Trevor Story at shortstop, Alex Bregman at third base, Triston Casas at first base and a plethora of outfield options including Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, Rob Refsnyder and Masataka Yoshida — currently recovering from right shoulder surgery.

It’s not the most ideal situation for any roster, but it’s also not a negative thing, either.

For the past few seasons, Boston’s issue has been depth and reliability. Whether in the rotation, the bullpen or the infield, the Red Sox haven’t had enough depth capable of keeping the team from spiraling down into the pits of the American League East. All the while, fans have waited for the front office’s draft work to pay off, and Mayer is set to become the latest reward for the organization’s patience.

Mayer is currently ranked as the No. 11 prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, and the second highest-ranked in Boston’s farm system.