Red Sox's No. 1 Prospect Marcelo Mayer Shows Off Clutch Gene With Walk-Off Hit
Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has arguably invested more into the organization's top prospect than any individual player -- you could make the case for superstar Rafael Devers but he was well-established when the executive arrived and his recent contract needed to happen.
Bloom has been banking on the crop of young prospects to prove that his strategy of building a sustainable pipeline from within is the key to success. Shortstop Marcelo Mayer -- the No. 4 pick in the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft -- needs to become a core player for his plan to work.
Fortunately, it appears that Mayer does have the necessary tools to become a star and we might be able to add clutch to the list.
With a man on second and two out in the bottom of the 10th inning of a tied ballgame, Mayer laced a ground ball between first and second base to secure a win for High-A Greenville.
The 20-year-old phenom has yet to struggle in the minors for more than a few weeks at a time and continues to look the part as the organization's top prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 5 prospect in all of baseball.
Mayer is hitting .319 with 15 extra-base hits including four home runs, 26 RBIs and a .926 OPS in 27 games this season. The shortstop of the future essentially averaging an RBI per game to pair with a high average and solid pop is everything the Red Sox should be looking for from an offensive perspective.
It would not be far-fetched for the Red Sox to promote Mayer to Double-A Portland before the All-Star break, which would put him on the fast track to a big league debut. Until then, Mayer will keep raking in High-A while developing all aspects of his game -- including his ability to remain calm in the clutch, as he did Thursday night.
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