To this day, it is incredibly surprising that Marcelo Mayer fell to the Boston Red Sox.
The uber-talented shortstop was regarded as a potential No. 1 pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, but instead fell to the Sox at fourth overall. Boston understandably is happy about it, as Mayer projects to be the shortstop of the future.
Even though he still is a few years off from the big leagues, Mayer has skyrocketed to the top of the Red Sox prospect list -- in many eyes even passing Triston Casas, bumping the power-hitting first baseman to No. 2. And in a conversation with The Boston Globe's Alex Speier, one MLB talent evaluator threw out some pretty eyebrow-raising comparisons for Mayer.
"The evaluator spoke with reverence about Mayer, describing him as a franchise cornerstone capable of two-way impact in the mold of Carlos Correa and Manny Machado," Speier wrote. "Other names brought up in assessing Mayer's ability include Brandon Crawford (for elite defense based not on speed but fluidity and timing), Corey Seager, and a young Christian Yelich (at least in terms of offensive profile). That is good."
Of course, making comparisons is a relatively inexact science. However, the early returns suggest Mayer is a can't-miss prospect who could be, to borrow the evaluator's terminology, a franchise cornerstone.
