Boston Red Sox top prospect Marcelo Mayer has been reconnected with some familiar faces since being promoted to Double-A Portland almost two weeks ago.
The No. 4 overall pick from the 2021 MLB Draft started the 2023 campaign in High-A Greenville where he hit .290 with a .890 OPS in 35 games before he was elevated to Double-A on May 28. The promotion has teamed up Mayer with some of the organization’s other top prospects like Ceddanne Rafaela (No. 3) and Nick Yorke (No. 4), their rankings according to Sox Prospects.
It’s been a seamless transition to the new clubhouse.
“I love those guys in there,” Mayer said, per Boston.com’s Conor Ryan. “We had a good thing going on in the clubhouse in spring training. So everyone’s family. So getting the call up or joining a new club was pretty easy and smooth.”
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Mayer added: “We’re all together all the time. So it’s kind of sad when we break camp, just because we know we’re not gonna see each other for a long time. But being able to see those guys again was cool.”
The reintegration of Mayer, while perhaps quicker than some might have thought, was well-deserved. The 20-year-old is recognized as MLB.com’s No. 5 prospect. Both the 21-year-old Yorke, Boston’s 2020 first-round pick, and the 22-year-old Rafaela, an international free agent acquired in 2017, also rank in the top 100 on different prospect lists.
Mayer got off to a slower start during his first few appearances for Portland, but is hitting .455 with one home run and four RBIs in his last three games.
His familiarity with those inside the clubhouse, along with more Double-A experience, surely will help him continue to ascend up the organization’s ranks. Sox Prospects currently views Mayer as a late 2024 arrival to Boston.
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Featured image via Salem Red Sox
