Since Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer's promotions to Triple-A, Boston Red Sox fans have begged the team to call its two top prospects up to the major leagues.
Last week, Mayer made the best case for his big league debut yet. The 22-year-old shortstop netted International League Player of the Week honors for his play at the plate from April 21-27. He posted a staggering .450 batting average and 1.530 OPS with three homers and 12 RBI.
Mayer posted his best season in the Red Sox's minor league system in 2024 after an injury shortened his 2023 slate. He batted .307/.370/.480 with 28 doubles, eight homers and 38 RBI. The infielder has played just 23 games in Triple-A this year and he's already knocked seven home runs, just one shy of his total last season.
Many Red Sox fans have been critical of Mayer in the past, since injuries have prevented him from approaching a full season's worth of work. He posted 91 games between Single-A and High-A in 2022, but he's been limited to 78 or fewer in his three other seasons.
Mayer's 2025 spring training performance pulled his doubters back in and affirmed his place as the No. 3 prospect in the Sox's system. He slashed .333/.455/.528 with a .983 OPS, two triples, a homer and 11 RBI in 20 games. He dominated big league pitching on a few occasions and felt he deserved a spot on the major league roster out of spring training despite never playing a game in Triple-A. Some fans agreed.
Marcelo, Marcelo, Marcelo 👨🍳💋 pic.twitter.com/Jlc9LY0nRB
— Worcester Red Sox (@WooSox) April 27, 2025
Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer earns International League Player of the Week honors and makes huge case for major league debut
Not only has Mayer been excellent at the plate this year, but he's also a great defender in the infield. He's athletic and smooth enough to make plays on the run and he's logged just one error, 31 assists and been part of eight double plays over 135 innings at shortstop this year.
Boston may have to do a lot of shuffling to get Mayer a roster spot for his expected debut this season. Trevor Story is the Sox's primary shortstop and he's been critical for the team on both sides of the ball early this year — he's slashing .272/.314/.421 with five doubles and two homers over 29 games. Mayer's fellow top prospect, Kristian Campbell, has also excelled early in his major league tenure, with a .305/.412/.474 slash line in 27 games. The Red Sox have moved Campbell between the infield and outfield to get David Hamilton reps at second base this season, and there's no reason why they can't do the same to accommodate Mayer. However, Boston's front office believes frequent position changes between the infield and the outfield hurt Ceddanne Rafaela's development last season and it could eventually come to the same conclusion for Campbell. Mayer is also a shortstop by trade, so the Sox may be less enthusiastic about playing him at second base, although he's a more solid defender than Campbell.
No matter where he plays, Mayer is going to force the Red Sox to summon him to the big leagues sooner rather than later. His International League Player of the Week honors are the latest feather in his cap and possibly his biggest push for promotion yet.