The 2022 Boston Red Sox aren't exactly World Series contenders, but at least the future looks bright.
The brightest star in Boston's farm system is shortstop Marcelo Mayer, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. Mayer has lofty expectations as the No. 9 prospect in all of baseball per MLB.com, but he's been living up to the hype this season with the Single-A Affiliate Salem (Va.) Red Sox.
Mayer has been particularly hot of late, batting .319 since the beginning of July with three home runs, seven doubles, 13 RBIs and five stolen bases over a 21-game span.
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Here's a look at all five of Mayer's at-bats from Wednesday's game, which included two walks and two very hard-hit balls:
And here's a look at the laser of a home run Mayer hit the night before:
The California native, who doesn't turn 20 until December, is batting .286 with an impressive .907 OPS over 62 games for Salem with nine home runs, 39 RBIs and 15 steals.
Mayer likely is several years away from the major leagues, and the Red Sox shouldn't rush their top prospect's development. But it seems likely that Mayer gets the call-up to Double-A Portland next season, which would give fans in New England a chance to watch him in person.
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With Xander Bogaerts expected to opt out of his contract after this season and become a free agent, it should be of at least some comfort to fans that an uber-talented shortstop prospect is in the pipeline.