John Tomase discusses how significant it was for the Red Sox to select shortstop Marcelo Mayer with the fourth pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.
Marcelo Mayer was considered the best overall prospect in the 2021 MLB Draft for a reason.
The Boston Red Sox selected Mayer with the No. 4 pick on Sunday after many projected the high school shortstop to go No. 1 overall to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mayer is a very well-rounded prospect who's drawn comparisons to Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager offensively and San Francisco Giants three-time Gold Glove shortstop Brandon Crawford defensively.
Tomase: Red Sox' good fortunes in 2021 continue with Mayer pick
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Mayer also has the stats to back up his lofty expectations. As a senior for Eastlake High School in California -- the same high school that former Red Sox slugger Adrian Gonzalez attended -- the 18-year-old hit .392 with 14 home runs and 45 RBIs in 34 games.
He also ended his high school career in style: Mayer launched a grand slam in his final at-bat, which you can see below.
Eastlake lost the game to bow out of the Southern California regional playoff tournament, but Mayer's blast traveled an estimated 450 feet. Not the worst result for your final at-bat before the draft.
As you can see in the video above, Mayer has a fluid, mechanically-sound swing that can produce serious power. He's also an excellent fielder with quick hands and a strong throwing arm.
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"No one doubts Mayer will be able to stay at shortstop for a long time," MLB.com's scouting report on Mayer reads. "He has easy actions, plus hands and footwork and an arm that plays plus."
This video highlights Mayer's fielding prowess in addition to his smooth stroke:
Mayer recently committed to USC but is expected to forgo his college career to join the Red Sox' organization. Still, we probably won't see the California native at the major league level for several years, especially with All-Star Xander Bogaerts holding it down at shorstop.
Red Sox fans have plenty of reasons to be excited about Mayer's upside, though.
