Purple Sox
Marcelo Mayer made his dwelling debut with the Sea Canine at Hadlock Subject on Tuesday night time.
The Mayer household obtained some nice information final week.
After a blistering stretch on the plate with Excessive-A Greenville, Marcelo Mayer earned the call-up to Double-A Portland.
It was an anticipated step ahead for the Purple Sox’ high prospect, however one nonetheless nicely forward of schedule for the 20-year-old shortstop.
The one complication for the uber-skilled infielder? His dad and mom, Enrique and Myriam, had already flown from San Diego to Greenville to look at their son play. As a substitute of settling in for a week-plus of video games with the Drive, Marcelo wanted to make a trek as much as Somerset, New Jersey to hitch the Sea Canine on the highway.
“Packed all my stuff that night time,” Mayer stated of the whirlwind that adopted his promotion to Double-A. “After which round 11 within the morning, drove 14 hours to Somerset … “Fortunately my dad was with me. So he drove a lot of the method.”
Such is the lifetime of a younger prospect trying to carve a path up the massive leagues.
Since Sox spring coaching wrapped up in March, the odometer in Mayer’s automotive has been about as busy as its proprietor — carrying him from Florida to South Carolina, New Jersey, and now Maine.
And despite the fact that Mayer’s final purpose is to anchor the Purple Sox infield at Fenway Park, MLB.com’s fifth-ranked prospect isn’t wanting previous his newest cease with the Sea Canine.
“I’ve seen no motive for this child to alter who he’s and the way he goes about issues,” Sea Canine supervisor Chad Epperson stated of Mayer. “Now we have such an excellent assist system on and off discipline. He’s so centered on what he’s doing. I overheard him say, ‘I’m not apprehensive about Boston, I’m in Portland proper now and that is the place I have to be.’”
And on Tuesday night time, Mayer made a stable first impression in entrance of a brand new set of followers at Hadlock Subject.
Mayer’s stat line might not pop off the field rating following Portland’s 6-2 win over the Akron RubberDucks, ending 0-for-3 on the plate. However Mayer did drive in a run within the backside of the third with a sacrifice fly out to proper discipline earlier than driving one other ball out to deep heart within the fifth. Because the relay man, he additionally assisted in a tag-out of Akron’s Petey Halpin whereas attempting to stretch out a triple within the fifth.
“His numbers are gonna care for themselves as a result of he’s that good of a ballplayer,” Epperson stated of Mayer. “His IQ of baseball is off the charts as nicely. He’s actually clever.”
It doesn’t take lengthy to see why the Sox had been over the moon when Mayer fell to them with the fourth general choose within the 2021 MLB Draft.
Projected as a possible five-tool participant, Mayer’s bat pace and clean swing assist him drive the ball with ease, even with simply two years of professional ball below his belt. In his final month of Excessive-A motion, Mayer batted .321 with seven doubles and 6 dwelling runs with Greenville.
Even at 6-foot-2 and 188 kilos, Mayer’s defensive sport is fluid. The Chula Vista, California, native can cowl floor in a rush, gobbling up potential seeing-eye singles and reeling off a nifty double play on Tuesday with second baseman and fellow high prospect Nick Yorke. His pace might not be elite, however he has already swiped three luggage in simply six video games with Portland.
However for Epperson, Mayer’s most spectacular attribute lies in his potential and willingness to regulate and study briefly order, quite than depend on his high-end expertise to carry him out of prolonged lulls.
Regardless that Mayer is on the quick observe to the massive leagues, he’s nonetheless in comparatively uncharted territory. Having turned 20 on Dec. 12, Mayer is the youngest Purple Sox draftee to get referred to as as much as Double-A since Casey Kelly and Anthony Rizzo each earned the nod again in 2009.
After opening his Double-A profession with an 0-for-16 hunch in Somerset, Mayer rebounded with a 3-for-4 exhibiting with a double and two RBI on Sunday.
“The man’s obtained distinctive instruments,” Epperson stated of Mayer. “And he’s proven it. I imply, he made some actually, actually good performs. And he made some actually onerous performs look simple. He’s enjoyable to look at. Everyone is aware of who he’s, proper? In order that they’re gonna pitch to him a bit — they’re gonna convey their A-game each time he steps within the field.”
For a blue-chip expertise who was taking part in high-school opponents simply two years in the past, Mayer has loads of stress resting on his shoulders.
Boston isn’t anticipating their prized prospect to punch his ticket to the present in 2023. However after letting Xander Bogaerts stroll in free company this offseason, the writing is on the wall that Boston envisions Mayer as their franchise shortstop of the long run.
However Mayer isn’t wanting too far forward, not at this juncture of his younger profession.
For now, he’s maintaining his toes grounded in his new dwelling. The to-do record he’s penned is easy, and much from sweeping.
His first activity up in Maine? Discover a reliable new seafood spot within the Previous Port neighborhood.
The Highroller Lobster Co. has been the early favourite.
“We went downtown, ate some lobster rolls that had been fairly hearth,” Mayer stated of his first night in Portland. “Good first impression. … I really had one in Boston after I went to signal and I didn’t prefer it. So I used to be skeptical about attempting it once more. However fortunately, I preferred this, so now I’ve a great spot to go.”
Subsequent on the record for Mayer? Get higher — one at-bat at a time.
“He’s obtained an actual great understanding of who he’s. … I don’t suppose he’s fascinated with Fenway Park or Worcester proper now,” Epperson stated. “I feel he’s fascinated with what he’s obtained to do immediately to arrange for this sport. And I actually consider that’s the best way he goes about it.”
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