{"id":59120,"date":"2025-06-28T07:32:48","date_gmt":"2025-06-28T07:32:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=59120"},"modified":"2025-06-28T07:32:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-28T07:32:48","slug":"red-sox-rookie-marcelo-mayer-already-garnering-comparison-to-future-hall-of-famer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=59120","title":{"rendered":"Red Sox rookie Marcelo Mayer already garnering comparison to future Hall of Famer"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mb-0 md:mb-9 relative md:mx-10 md:mb-9\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"overflow-hidden bg-lightGrey\"><picture><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full\" title=\"Boston Red Sox v Seattle Mariners\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_80,w_3997,h_2248\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/GettyImages\/mmsport\/14\/01jys9xaxa8fn88120by.jpg\" alt=\"Boston Red Sox v Seattle Mariners\" width=\"3997\" height=\"2248\" \/><\/picture><\/div><figcaption class=\"ml-1 pb-2 mt-4 md:m-3 text-darkGrey font-group-tiny\">Boston Red Sox v Seattle Mariners | Alika Jenner\/GettyImages<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex flex-wrap justify-center lg:justify-normal\">\n<div class=\"flex lg:mr-4 lg:w-[calc(70%-3em)] max-w-full\">\n<div class=\"hidden md:block md:mx-4 hidden md:block\" data-testid=\"share-menu\">\n<div class=\"sticky top-20 mb-3\" data-testid=\"share-menu-inner\">\n<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">After a disastrous, pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the Boston Red Sox found themselves with the\u00a0fourth overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft\u00a0\u2014 their highest draft position in over 50 years.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Marcelo Mayer, the Collegiate Baseball National High School Player of the Year, was a five-tool talent and widely regarded as the top prospect in the class.\u00a0When he unexpectedly slid to No. 4,\u00a0Boston had an easy choice to draft their future franchise shortstop.<\/p>\n<div id=\"inarticle_d_2_4\" class=\"mm-slot-content\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"inline-text-2\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Mayer quickly tore through the Red Sox farm system and, by 2022, had emerged as a consensus top-15 prospect in all of baseball. By the start of 2024, he was\u00a0Boston\u2019s No. 1\u00a0prospect and the highest-ranked of the organization\u2019s \u201cBig Three,\u201d alongside Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-3\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Since Mayer was called up to the big leagues in May, he has been a defensive cornerstone in the infield and has shown potential at the plate with four home runs thus far. However, he\u2019s been making incredible plays at the hot corner, not at shortstop. Mayer has looked extremely natural at a position he had only played six times through his minor league career.<\/p>\n<div id=\"inarticle_d_2_5\" class=\"mm-slot-content\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"inline-text-4\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">The reason Mayer is not playing shortstop is due to Trevor Story. His defensive prowess has moved Mayer to third. Although Story is in his 10th season in the majors and returning from multiple injuries to his arms and shoulders, his\u00a0glove and defensive range\u00a0remain vital to Boston\u2019s infield, regularly making diving stops and jump throws to first.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-5\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Trevor Story compares top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer to elite third baseman Nolan Arenado<\/h2>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1936520668599705720&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fbosoxinjection.com%2Fred-sox-rookie-marcelo-mayer-already-garnering-comparison-to-future-hall-of-famer&amp;sessionId=3b8538cbe4554524ed7c080c3a9baa8ded71f338&amp;siteScreenName=bosoxinjection&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"1936520668599705720\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div id=\"inarticle_d_2_6\" class=\"mm-slot-content\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"inline-text-7\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Story is no stranger to crowded infields. When he\u00a0signed with Boston in 2022, Xander Bogaerts was the franchise shortstop and Story moved to second base to accommodate him. In Colorado, Story had\u00a010-time Gold Glover\u00a0Nolan Arenado playing third base directly to his right. Now, he sees heavy similarities with Arenado and the ever-promising Mayer.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-8\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">\u201cI was thinking it there in the last inning that his baseball clock reminds me of like Nolan Arenado,\u201d Story told\u00a0<em>MassLive<\/em>. \u201cGetting a guy by a half step even though he can get rid of it quick. But he just has that good baseball instinct. He\u2019s smooth out there, making every play that you need to make \u2014 backhand, forehand, tough in-between hoppers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-9\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Arenado is known as a ball magnet at third base with exceptional range to get any ball hit to his side of the infield and throw it on a rope across the diamond.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-10\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">Mayer may still be adjusting to third, but he\u2019s quickly finding his rhythm. Fans tuning into any Sox game can see him making quick reads on balls lasered at him and one-hopping the throw to first base to maintain his accuracy across the infield.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-11\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1\">With Bregman coming back from injury and\u00a0Story staying as a leader on the team, Mayer may have to bounce around the infield and wait to play his natural position. If Mayer settles at third base, matching even a fraction of Arenado\u2019s defensive success would be a major achievement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><main class=\"min-w-0 flex-1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"viewablity-block\"><\/div>\n<p><\/main><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Boston Red Sox v Seattle Mariners | Alika Jenner\/GettyImages After a disastrous, pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the Boston Red Sox found themselves with the\u00a0fourth overall pick in the&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":59122,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Red Sox rookie Marcelo Mayer already garnering comparison to future Hall of Famer - 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