Why Red Sox Draft Pick Marcelo Mayer Didn’t Lift Weights In High School

Who would have thought that lifting weights wouldn’t be a regular routine for a young athlete with aspirations of playing in Major League Baseball?

Marcelo Mayer, selected by the Boston Red Sox with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft on Sunday night, explained Tuesday why pumping iron wasn’t a good option for him in high school.

“Me and my dad wanted me to stay super loose and not get stiff,” Mayer told reporters during a video conference. “We saw a lot of kids who were really good at a young age and they started hitting the weight room really hard and got stiff and lost all their mobility. So I wanted to stay away from that.”

Despite a relative lack of muscle from skipping the weights, Mayer, 18, still possesses a powerful swing and a strong arm.

Maybe waiting until he actually got drafted to start lifting with professional trainers is a smart move for Mayer.