Boston Red Sox Get Positive Health News on One of Game's Top Prospects

The Boston Red Sox got some positive news on Wednesday regarding top prospect Marcelo Mayer, who has a clean bill of health heading into the 2024 season.

Per Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald on social media:

Marcelo Mayer on his shoulder:

“It’s ready to go.”

Says “I should’ve said something earlier” regarding the shoulder not feeling 100% last year.

Marcelo Mayer on his shoulder: “It’s ready to go.”

Says “I should’ve said something earlier” regarding the shoulder not feeling 100% last year.
— Gabrielle Starr (@gfstarr1) January 17, 2024

As the Red Sox continue to be frugal in terms of their major league spending, they are clearly waiting for their minor league prospects to pan out - with Mayer being the most notable.

He's the No. 11 prospect in all of baseball. The 21-year-old was the No. 4 pick in the 2021 draft.

The following comes from his MLB.com prospect profile:

The consensus among scouts was that Mayer was both the best hitter and best defender in his Draft class, a potential combination of Corey Seager's bat and Brandon Crawford's glove. Signed for a franchise-record $6,664,000, he batted .280/.399/.489 with 45 extra-base hits and 17 steals in his 2022 full-season debut but has struggled since arriving in Double-A midway through this year.

Mayer displayed the ability to recognize pitches, make good swing decisions and use the entire field at lower levels. After getting to Double-A, he has had difficulty dealing with a steady diet of breaking balls and changeups. He's adding strength to his 6-foot-3 frame, and his penchant for hard contact should translate into 25 homers per season once he learns to drive the ball in the air more consistently.

While Mayer is bigger than most shortstops, he has the smooth actions, quick hands and plus arm to make all the plays at the position.

He hit .236 last season at the minor league level across 78 games. He had 13 homers and 54 RBI.

Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by LIKING us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

Check out more Boston Red Sox coverage at Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Inside the Red Sox.