Things have not gone Marcelo Mayer’s way ever since the top prospect of the Boston Red Sox got promoted to Double-A Portland early last week.
But the 20-year-old got the hype train back on the tracks Sunday.
After beginning his Double-A tenure with an eye-popping 0-for-16 stretch, Mayer collected his first base hits and drove in his first runs at that level in Portland’s 5-4 loss in 10 innings to the Somerset Patriots. Mayer went 3-for-4 with two RBIs in the defeat to go along with two stolen bases in three attempts.
“I think the first few games, I was trying to do a little too much, obviously, being the new guy up here,” Mayer told MLB.com’s Brendan Samson. “But I’m just focusing on my approach again and trying to hit the ball hard and trying to hit strikes hard and lay off balls.”
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Mayer ended his slump in the first inning, lining a pitch to right field off No. 8 Yankees prospect Richard Fitts before driving in fellow highly touted prospect Ceddanne Rafaela with a single to left field in the third inning.
But that first hit took a weight off Mayer’s shoulders.
“It felt really good,” Mayer said. “Obviously, I didn’t get a hit all week leading up to today, so getting the first out of the way the first at-bat felt great.”
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Mayer capped his performance by roping a double into the right-center field gap to plate another run in the top of the seventh.
It was the type of showing that was expected all along from Mayer, who dominated at High-A Greenville this season by batting .290 with seven home runs and 34 RBIs in 35 games. It just took five games for Mayer to get there with Portland but more of these outings should be on the way for MLB Pipeline’s No. 5 prospect in all of baseball.
Featured image via Salem Red Sox
