Red Sox's Roman Anthony Explains Why Marcelo Mayer is 'Slept on'

It was a huge opening day for Marcelo Mayer

Mar 26, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Boston Red Sox pinch hitter Marcelo Mayer (11) scores on a RBI single hit by center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela (not pictured) in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

As one might have expected, Roman Anthony was the Boston Red Sox's most impressive hitter on opening day. But he arguably wasn't the most impactful.

Marcelo Mayer came into the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning and completely changed the dynamic. He led off that inning with a double and scored on a Ceddanne Rafaela single. He then led off the ninth with a single and came around to score on a Trevor Story base knock, scoring runs one and two in a 3-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

After Mayer's roster candidacy was something of a hot topic for the Red Sox during the spring, it felt significant to see his impact so quickly, especially off the bench. And Anthony, who came up through the minors with Mayer and has developed into a bigger star out of the gates, wanted to be sure the 23-year-old got his shine.

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Anthony on Mayer: 'Stud'

WooSox player Roman Anthony (left) high fives teammate Marcelo Mayer during a Triple-A game at Polar Park on April 23, 2025. | WooSox Photo/Ashley Green / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Anthony backed up Mayer, who didn't start Thursday's game because lefty Andrew Abbott was on the mound for the Reds, by saying he'd made major progress this spring in terms of his plate discipline.

“The quality of the at-bats in spring was huge and something that was kind of slept on,” Anthony said, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. “Guys in here saw it. So getting to see that from him and just kind of rolling it right into Opening Day and off the bench, too -- stud.”

Mayer should start at second base against right-handed pitchers, and if Isiah Kiner-Falefa is the primary alternative against lefties, a lot of Red Sox fans are going to want to see Mayer in there against southpaw, too.

Anthony, however, recognizes the value of everyone being ready to go in a reserve role when needed.

“Him being able to do that off the bench and the kind of player he is, is huge for us,” Anthony added, per Smith.

It's appropriate enough that Mayer now wears Rafael Devers' old number in Boston, because now that Devers and Alex Bregman are ghosts of Red Sox past, the youngster will have to play a leading role. Unsurprisingly, he has the endorsement of the team's top young gun.