The Boston Red Sox organization has placed a lot of pressure on its prospects. The front office has held off on making major changes to the roster in favor of waiting to see what the talent rising through the ranks can bring to the big leagues.
It sounds like Marcelo Mayer plans to deliver in the biggest way. Despite playing two levels below the majors, Mayer already has World Series dreams.
“The city of Boston wants championships more than anything. We want them just as bad, maybe even more," Mayer said to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. "We talk about it every single day — trying to win championships in Boston, bring championships to the city, bring joy to the fans.”
When Mayer said he might want a championship more than the citizens of the city of Boston, he meant it — his phone background is a picture of a Duck Boat, anxiously awaiting a parade trip around the city.
Red Sox No. 1 prospect Marcelo Mayer discusses bringing a World Series to Boston
The shortstop Mayer, catching prospect Kyle Teel and outfielder Roman Anthony hope to collect a championship for the Red Sox together. The three are currently stationed in Portland and they're having success with the Sea Dogs.
Mayer is expected to reach the big leagues by the end of the 2024 season and Teel and Antony are projected to follow in 2025. They'll not only bring skill, but a potential attitude adjustment to the Red Sox. Sure, the Red Sox have "good vibes," and their record is better than many reporters or fans expected, but the team's emotions at the start of spring training were far from ideal.
Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, and Kyle Teel aren’t hiding from the expectations surrounding their futures. Instead, they’ve adopted a collective goal that’s now a regular topic of conversation: Duck boats. https://t.co/STlC7p0o3z via @BostonGlobe
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) May 9, 2024
Some young Red Sox are already bringing their competitive fire to the roster. Ceddanne Rafaela made a similar assertion to Mayer — after he signed his eight-year contract extension early in the season, Rafaela said he'd win a World Series before the deal expired.
The future of the Red Sox is bright and their desire to win is real. Hopefully, they can survive — and even prosper — under the weight of the front office's expectations.