Xander Bogaerts’ pending opt-out promises to dominate conversation around the Red Sox for the next year. But some oxygen should be saved for the young shortstop coming up behind him.
The Red Sox drafted 18-year-old Marcelo Mayer with the No. 4 overall pick in the MLB Draft, who some projected to be selected No. 1 overall. He had a solid pro debut at the Florida Complex League, slashing .275/.377/.440. It was enough to make one talent evaluator fall in love.
The anonymous scout told the Globe’s Alex Speier he thinks Mayer is capable is “capable of two-way impact in the mold of Carlos Correa and Manny Machado.”
Now that’s high praise. Speier mentions Brandon Crawford and Corey Seager are also mentioned as comps. Again, not too shabby!
Since Mayer is years away from being able to legally drink, he’ll likely be in the minors for the foreseeable future. But with Triston Casas on the cusp of the big leagues, he’ll soon be universally considered the Red Sox’ top prospect. Baseball America ranked Mayer at the No. 1 slot in its newest list.
One of Chaim Bloom’s biggest responsibilities was rebuilding the Red Sox’ farm system. It’s rare to have a top five pick, and it seems like he made the most of it. We’ll be on Mayer watch all summer long.
