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.
The Boston Red Sox' selection of high school shortstop Marcelo Mayer with the No. 4 pick in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft drew rave reviews from fans and experts, and he's also drawn comparisons to a few star players.
Two of the most common comps for Mayer are Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager and San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford -- two All-Star players who played key roles on World Series-winning teams.
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MLB Network analyst Harold Reynolds gave a different comp for Mayer last week. He explained how Mayer reminds him of Atlanta Braves legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Chipper Jones.
The Red Sox and their fans will be very fortunate if Mayer becomes anything close to Jones. The former Braves star hit 468 home runs while earning eight All-Star selections, a batting title, two Silver Slugger Awards, a National League MVP and a World Series ring. Jones played a little shortstop but spent most of his prime at third base.
Mayer hit hit .392 with 14 homers and 45 RBI in 34 games for East Lake High School (Chula Vista, Calif.) during the 2021 season. He was projected to go No. 1 overall in the Pittsburgh Pirates in most mock drafts but surprisingly fell to the Red Sox at No. 4 overall.