The Boston Red Sox's prospect pool is loaded with talent, but there are three players in particular that fans keep the closest eye on.
Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel — Boston's No. 1, 2 and 3 prospects, respectively — are teammates in Double-A Portland, and they're expected to reach MLB readiness in the next year or two. They're each posting quality numbers with the Sea Dogs.
Mayer has put up the best offensive season of the three, so far. He's slashing .297/.338/.500 in 45 games with Portland and he's posted 19 doubles, six homers and nine stolen bases. His numbers against lefty pitching are still far from ideal (.171/.205/.268) but Triston Casas was able to turn his similar struggles against lefties around with more experience. Casas' numbers against lefties were never as low as Mayer's have been, however.
Mayer's 2023 season was impeded by a shoulder injury, which the shortstop has said is completely healed now. He no longer feels pain with movement and continues to improve to the point that he may not be in Double-A much longer.
Keep 'em coming!
— Red Sox Player Development (@RedSoxPlayerDev) May 27, 2024
Marcelo Mayer belted his 5th homer of the year and second of the series yesterday. pic.twitter.com/ukLvg1ADKp
Marcelo Mayer, Kyle Teel and Roman Anthony are making their mark in Double-A Portland
Teel's offense comes up right behind Mayer's. The left-handed-hitting catcher is slashing .291/.390/.447 in his second year in Boston's system. He's knocked 10 doubles, four home runs and 26 RBI. Teel walks at a high clip and he's collected 22 free passes compared to 36 strikeouts. He also leads the charge in the "Big Three" with those 26 RBI.
The catcher's defense is exceptional, as well. He made a stellar play that is strikingly similar to one that Boston's current catcher Connor Wong made weeks ago. Wong and Teel are athletes behind the plate, and they're early products of an evolution toward such skill sets for catchers.
Anthony has struggled more than his counterparts offensively, but the outfielder's numbers are still solid. The 20-year-old is batting .243/.365/.392 with 11 doubles, a triple and three home runs. His numbers are trending in the right direction, though — Anthony collected four hits and eight walks while striking out only four times last week.
Mayer is projected to reach MLB level by the end of the 2024 season while Anthony and Teel are expected the following year. Those timelines seem accurate based on their stats so far, and the team the Red Sox have been waiting for is inching ever closer.