Marcelo Mayer looked absolutely defeated after making what ended up being the error that cost the Red Sox the series finale (and a series victory) against the Colorado Rockies.
It was a routine ground ball that would have gotten the Red Sox out of the inning with a three-run lead headed to the top of the eighth. Instead, it put men on first and second, and three straight singles later, the game was tied.
It wasn't the error that was the most concerning part — it was what happened after. During the mound visit for the pitching change, three of the four infielders joined the coaches on the mound, except Mayer.
As pointed out by Will Middlebrooks on WEEI, Mayer stood by himself on the edge of the outfield grass, likely beating himself up for costing his team the lead. Middlebrooks commented that, usually, that's where a veteran would step in to get the young player out of his head and back in the game.
Marcelo Mayer on his error that led to the Rockies tying the game...
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 25, 2026
"It just can't f*cking happen. Just a brutal error, obviously. Then it cost us the game. To me, that's the most routine ground ball I could possibly get. This game's 100% on me." pic.twitter.com/RS2ESuhFee
The Red Sox don't have that at the moment, though. At the time, Mayer was joined by Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler, and Willson Conteras on the infield. This small moment is a microcosm of a lot of the Red Sox's struggles this year, not having that big brother type vet on the roster like they did last season in Alex Bregman. They are relying on young players to fill big roles without the leader in the clubhouse or a former player on the coaching staff to help them in moments like that.
It's been a downward spiral for Marcelo Mayer and the Red Sox lately
Mayer hasn't been as sharp defensively since switching to shortstop. The once sure-handed infielder has -1 outs above average since switching sides on the diamond. His bat hasn't come along at all, either. Even with a double coming off the bench, the 23-year-old is hitting just .224 with a .605 OPS this season. He's handled fastballs pretty well, but he has struggled mightily with most breaking and off-speed pitches, hitting just .166 against those.
His defense was supposed to carry him through this season. Even if the bat was coming along slowly, he would be able to fall back on above-average defense at a premium position. Now, that isn't even happening. It might be time for the Red Sox's shortstop of the future to take a trip back to Worcester.
Marcelo Mayer might fare better in Worcester instead of dealing with Red Sox mess
Many Red Sox pundits said that Mayer probably wasn't ready when the Red Sox called him up after Bregman got hurt in 2025. Ever since, the front office thrust him into the lineup almost every day anyway. As was predicted by those pundits, he struggled at the plate until a wrist injury ended his season. The Red Sox decided he wasn't going to start 2026 in Worcester, despite needing more development.
The Red Sox have done him no favors in his professional journey as a potential franchise cornerstone. They decided he was going to play second to start the season because of Trevor Story, and didn't allow him to get any reps at his natural position of shortstop. They platooned him against lefties instead of allowing him to grow and learn to hit against both sides.
Mayer is supposed to be the next great Red Sox shortstop, but the front office is doing everything it can to stunt his development this season. That same front office is continually putting pressure on the players to turn it around, but hasn't done anything to help the situation. Mayer is struggling in all facets of the game right now, and without the proper help in place to help him figure it out, Triple-A might be his best bet.
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