How ‘Big Three’ Red Sox Prospects Analyzed Each Other’s Development

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel watched each other develop side-by-side in the Red Sox farm system.

As they earned a group promotion to Triple-A Worcester, now just one step from the majors, how do they view the progress their fellow trio members have made on their Red Sox journeys?

Beginning with Teel, he found specific areas of intrigue regarding Boston's top two prospects.

"Playing with Roman last year, he hit the ball hard and he hit with power," Teel told reporters. "This year, it's amazing how many times I look at the iPad after he makes contact with the ball and it's 110-plus (mph). It's unbelievable. This is my first year playing with Marcelo. Every time I see him out there, it's like, 'Man, he's a really, really good ballplayer.'"

Mayer, sticking true to the collective bond of the trio, identified a mindset that solidified their approach in Double-A Portland and should continue to their tenures with the WooSox.

"I'd say the biggest thing, it's not numbers-wise or anything like that," Mayer told reporters. "We kind of took on the challenge this year to buy in on the base paths. I know our Double-A manager (Chad Epperson) talked about it to go out every day and run as hard as you possibly can on the base paths. I think that's been something we've taken and ran with it. It's really helped us along. You see the big league club, how they play and how hard they play."

The well-documented expectations for the Red Sox top prospects could be overwhelming. Instead, Anthony commended his group for weathering the storm and playing to a maturity beyond their youth.

"Going into the year, controlling what we can control," Anthony told reporters. "I think these two guys have done a great job of it. Kyle handling the pitching staff in Portland. Obviously, it's a big adjustment. Guys are a lot older than him for the most part, a lot older than Marcelo as well. ... I think if you watched these two guys, you'd never know the age. The biggest thing is they're the same guys every day."

Anthony and Teel make their Worcester debuts on Tuesday night while Mayer could first appear later in the week.