Marcelo Mayer probably won’t debut with the Boston Red Sox until 2025, at the earliest.
Then again, the Red Sox are in the thick of the American League playoff race, figure to be active before Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline and continue to navigate uncertainty in the middle of their infield. Maybe we shouldn’t totally rule out Mayer debuting in 2024.
It would be surprising, sure, but The Athletic’s Keith Law last week floated the interesting scenario when publishing his updated rankings of MLB’s top 60 prospects.
“Mayer has been hitting all season, but he’s had even better results in June and so far in July, even with some continued trouble with sliders down and in or below the zone,” Law wrote. “He’s still a plus defender at short and making a ton of hard contact, coming into the plus power that scouts foresaw from him back when he was the top prospect in the 2021 draft. I doubt he sees the majors this year, and it’s not necessary for his development, but I also don’t think it’s out of the question.”
Obviously, there’s been little to suggest the 21-year-old will make his major league debut this season. And even Law expressed skepticism over it actually coming to fruition. But Law leaving the door open nevertheless is notable — as someone looking at Boston’s situation through an objective lens and mapping out where Mayer fits into the Red Sox’s timeline.
Law listed Mayer as the No. 2 prospect in baseball, behind only Jackson Holliday of the Baltimore Orioles. Holliday, 20, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft and debuted with the O’s earlier this season. Mayer, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, is climbing the ranks at a more methodical pace, with a shoulder injury derailing his 2023 season, but an eventual big-league callup is starting to come into focus.
Mayer remains at Double-A Portland, but he’ll likely soon progress to Triple-A Worcester, where he’ll be just one step away from The Show. Maybe, then, Mayer will further force the issue with his play, which, as Law mentioned, has been excellent this season.
The shortstop was one of five Red Sox prospects to appear on Law’s updated rankings, offering more evidence that Boston’s farm system is trending in the right direction.
