Marcelo Mayer made his much-anticipated Double-A debut Wednesday.
The 20-year-old shortstop is the top prospect in the Red Sox farm system, according to SoxProspects.com, and his fast start this season prompted praise from those in Boston. Mayer earned awards and had multiple highlights so far this season, which merited his promotion from High-A to Double-A.
Mayer batted third in the order for the Portland Sea Dogs against the Somerset Patriots on Wednesday morning at TD Bank Ballpark. The 2021 first-round pick had a forgettable day at the plate, going 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in what was a tough outing overall for Portland. The Sea Dogs lost 4-2.
Nick Yorke, ranked the organization's fourth-best prospect by SoxProspects.com, had a much better day, going 3-for-5 with a double and two singles.
Fans did receive a glimpse of Mayer's defensive talent when he turned a smooth double play, according to Beyond the Monster's Hunter Noll.
Mayer batted .290/.366/.524 in 35 games with the Greenville Drive this season, and there still are plenty of opportunities for the shortstop to come close to that production at the Double-A level. And if he does, that only will serve to continue the hype for Boston's top prospect.