After years of hype, the Boston Red Sox expect their top three prospects — the “Big Three,” as they’re sometimes called — to debut in 2025.
Kristian Campbell and Roman Anthony will probably be the first two to crack the big leagues, as Marcelo Mayer’s 2024 season ended prematurely due to a lower back injury. The 22-year-old shortstop has never played a game at Triple-A, which will likely be a must before his MLB debut.
There are a few other barriers to Mayer’s big league debut, however. One of them is veteran shortstop Trevor Story, who hopes to post his first healthy season in a Red Sox uniform in 2025. The other is Mayer’s left-handedness at the plate. Boston’s lineup is already packed with southpaws and Story is one of the club’s few righty bats.
Due to the Sox’s righty shortage, Mayer isn’t likely to play over Story at shortstop often. Story’s injury-proneness could open an unexpected spot for the prospect, but the Red Sox would like to bank on a healthy Story this year, as would Boston fans.
Marcelo Mayer open to learning new positions to play with Red Sox as soon as possible
Morning podcast: The life and times of @Marcelo_Mayer10. The top prospect returns.
Listen: https://t.co/1InMas2AMT pic.twitter.com/m5GV3uVKZi— Baseball Isn’t Boring (@BBisntBoring) January 27, 2025
Mayer’s main path to the roster, as a shortstop, is temporarily blocked by the Sox’s need for experienced defense and righty bats. But the young infielder recently discussed his willingness to play other positions on the Jan. 27 episode of the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast.
“I’ve been taking reps all offseason at second, third and short. But yeah, really I was the one who reached out to them and told them, ‘hey, I’m available to play anywhere in the infield, if you guys want me to play the outfield, I’ll do that too,'” Mayer said.
Versatility can only benefit Mayer if he hopes to make it to the big leagues soon. Story is under contract until after the 2028 season and Mayer’s playing time at shortstop could be limited until then. Boston does need an everyday second baseman, and Mayer is an athletic and smooth defender in the infield who could be better suited for the job than Campbell, who can also play the outfield.
Alex Cora treasures versatility in his lineup and Mayer’s athleticism and confidence on defense make him an ideal candidate to learn other positions. It will be interesting to see where Mayer plays when he (hopefully) makes it to the big leagues in 2025.
