'It was a lot of hard work in the offseason'
Red Sox top prospect Marcelo Mayer continues to rack up recognition points in Boston’s farm system.
Mayer, who was recently promoted from High-A Salem to Boston’s Double-A affiliate in Portland last month, continues to impress amid his climb up the minor league ladder ever since being drafted fourth overall by the Red Sox in 2021. Yet, that acknowledgment goes beyond the organization.
The 20-year-old has been named to the Major League Baseball All-Star Futures Game roster, highlighting the event alongside fellow top prospects Kyle Harrison (San Francisco Giants) and Jonathan Clase (Seattle Mariners). Mayer was among the early names released with the full roster scheduled to be revealed Monday night at 6:15 p.m. ET on MLB Network.
Infielder Nick Yorke and pitcher Shane Drohan will also join Mayer in Seattle.
Mayer is ranked the No. 5 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, while fellow Red Sox minor leaguers Ceddanne Rafaela (No. 87), Yorke (No. 91) and Miguel Bleis (No. 92) also cracked the top 100. Like Mayer, Rafaela was also promoted by Boston — to Triple-A Worcester — on Sunday.
Having played a split campaign thus far with the Drive and Sea Dogs, Mayer has complied a combined slash line of .250/.327/.814 with 12 home runs, 47 RBIs and eight stolen bases. He’s also the youngest Red Sox draftee to be promoted to Double-A in the last 13 years.
“Obviously my power numbers have been trending a little bit better this year just because I’m hitting the ball a little better,” Mayer said, per Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. “Balls are actually going over the fence instead of being doubles. I think it was a lot of hard work in the offseason — weightlifting, in spring training doing some bat speed training, stuff like that.”
Boston’s representative will headline the stage among a batch of baseball’s brightest prospects in the Futures Game, set for July 8 during All-Star Weekend at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.