Red Sox Hint at Platoon Plan for Marcelo Mayer in 2026

The Boston Red Sox are making sure the young infielder is in the best position.

Jun 24, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Marcelo Mayer (39) loses control of the ball for the throw to first against Los Angeles Angels center fielder Jo Adell (7). during the seventh inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

One of the biggest bright spots for the Boston Red Sox heading into the 2026 Major League Baseball season arguably is young infielder Marcelo Mayer.

It was a story all throughout camp whether he would actually end up making the big league team to begin the 2026 season. It always seemed like the most likely outcome and it came true. Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced that Mayer is the guy at second base and had nothing but praise for the 23-year-old.

"Marcelo is going to be our second baseman,” Cora said. “I talked to him today. He did an amazing job in the offseason. ... I wanted to push him. Nothing is given here. Obviously, last year wasn’t great for him offensively but it’s part of the process and he understands that. We have some capable players here that can play second base most of the time, too. It was out of respect for the whole group and understanding there were certain things he needed to do.”

The Red Sox want to Marcelo Mayer in the best position

Jul 12, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Marcelo Mayer (39) makes a catch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

While the most likely outcome throughout camp always seemed to be Mayer being the team's primary second baseman, the idea of a platoon was tossed around a lot as well. One thing that Boston does consistently is attempt to maximize lefty-righty matchups. It's been the case for Cora's entire run as the manager of the Red Sox, specifically with the younger guys. And this is not changing. While discussing the infield on Monday, Cora alluded to the idea of Isiah Kiner-Falefa getting time at second base against lefties.

"We've got five outfielders that one of them is not going to play, right," Cora said. "We just feel like we can mix and match with [Andruw Monasterio]. We're going to use [Isiah Kiner-Falefa] most likely against lefties at second base. [Andruw Monasterio] can do the same thing and pinch run."

There are different schools of thought. For the Red Sox, they are adamant about the matchups as a way to help young guys succeed as they break into the big leagues. This isn't just a Mayer thing. Wilyer Abreu and Jarren Duran are two very recent examples of guys who didn't see a lot of lefties for a while. For Boston, this idea has worked for a while.

So, while Mayer will be the team's primary second baseman, don't expect to see him consistently against lefties early on to kick off the 2026 season.