WORCESTER — How often does Marcelo Mayer think about what it will be like to get called up from Triple A to the big leagues?
“Every day,” Mayer said at Polar Park on Tuesday. “As a player, that’s something that I’ve thought about every single day since I was a little kid watching games on the television with my family, or going to [San Diego] Padres games. It’s just something that you work so hard for every single day, and you just hope that one day it’s going to come true.”
Dominoes are falling that have brought Mayer tantalizingly close to realizing that dream.
The Red Sox’ first base situation is unsettled in the wake of the season-ending injury to Triston Casas, which resulted in Kristian Campbell starting to work at first base last Friday. On the same night, the WooSox started giving Mayer — who spent the vast majority of the year at shortstop — regular pregame and in-game work at second base, Campbell’s primary position this year.
It wasn’t hard for Mayer to connect the dots and understand that, if Campbell can handle first, the Sox may give the 22-year-old a big league opportunity at second base.
“It only makes sense to put those [developments] together [to see a path to the big leagues],” said Mayer, who is slated to play second base three to four games per week with the WooSox. “For me, [I’m] just doing whatever I can every single day to get ready over there so when my time comes, I’m able to help the team.”
Marcelo Mayer tacks one on! pic.twitter.com/e2AyPsfXZ9
— Worcester Red Sox (@WooSox) May 21, 2025
Mayer described second base as feeling normal and natural. He acknowledged some adjustment to the angles of the position and nuances such as a double play pivot in which his back is to the runner, but suggested a quick ability to gain comfort with those elements.
WooSox manager Chad Tracy suggested Mayer could handle second in the big leagues, while acknowledging that Mayer will benefit from as much work as possible at the position before getting an opportunity there.
“Any time he’s got a glove on his hand, I’m comfy, but there are little intricacies to every position that you have to learn and you have to get exposed to,” said Tracy. “Otherwise it finds you in the game.”
Of course, part of the appeal for the Red Sox in contemplating a big league call-up for Mayer is precisely because of his comfort when the game does test him.
The 2021 first-round pick is hitting .262/.332/.451 with eight home runs and 41 RBIs in 41 games. He’s consistently tapped into power with runners on base, resulting in game-changing impact.
“When the game finds that guy with people on base in the big moment, I’m on the edge of my seat,” said Tracy. “He finds the moment. He likes the moment from what I’ve seen so far, and I’ve enjoyed watching that.”
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Mayer has shown the bat speed to hit rockets against fastballs of any velocity and to do damage when swinging at pitches in the strike zone. That said, he’s also gone through periods of expanding the zone, particularly against non-fastballs.
The result has been an uneven season. Mayer was cold through the season’s first three weeks (.193/.233/.298). He then went bananas for a nine-game stretch (.417/.452/.944 with five homers) while doing damage to all fields early in counts, a run that Mayer described as “probably the best couple of weeks I’ve ever had in my career.”
“When he’s going good, feeling good, and gets a good pitch to hit, he can do things with it that most people can’t,” said Tracy.
His performance has leveled off, with Mayer hitting .242/.351/.333 in 17 games leading up to the current WooSox homestand, with one walk and 14 strikeouts against lefties. The disparate stretches suggest a still-developing hitter who has the ability to make a major impact when hot.
That said, he’s a good enough defender that he can still contribute when struggling offensively.
“It’s special. He makes those plays deep in the hole, and makes it look so easy. This guy is defensively ready to do a lot of great things in the big leagues. Offensively, I think the strength is coming,” said WooSox hitting coach Doug Clark. “At that age, it’s really special for us to see someone with that kind of talent to be able to turn around 95, 96, have a smooth swing, have balance, and be able to move the ball to all fields. It’s a tremendous talent that we get to watch.”
The opportunity to observe Mayer’s talent in Triple A may be dwindling. Tracy said Mayer is “absolutely” ready for the big leagues.
Such a call likely will require Campbell to prove he can handle first base. That said, it certainly feels as if Mayer’s long-anticipated summons could come at any time.
“It’s not going to be too long,” said Clark. “I think we’re talking moments away from really on the cusp of getting to the big leagues, and that’s exciting for all of us.”
THE ROMAN EMPIRE HAS RETURNED
A Roman Anthony solo home run makes it 4-0 WooSox pic.twitter.com/shEMMVwBLw
— Worcester Red Sox (@WooSox) May 20, 2025
Three up
⋅ Top prospect Roman Anthony’s power outage appears to be over after he stayed inside a 96 mile-per-hour fastball in a two-strike count and drilled an opposite-field homer on Tuesday. In his last eight games, he’s hitting .448/.590/.724.
⋅ Double A righthander Yordanny Monegro had his third career double-digit strikeout game on Tuesday, with 10 over five shutout innings in which he allowed three hits and walked one. The 22-year-old has struck out 44 percent of the batters he’s faced this year — the highest rate in the minors by a pitcher with at least 20 innings. He has a 39 percent whiff rate against his cutter (his primary pitch), while getting swings-and-misses against his curveball, splitter, and mid-90s heater.
“This is the best version of Monegro we have seen, from his work and preparation to execution of his plan,” texted director of pitching Justin Willard.
⋅ Outfielder Zach Ehrhard, a fourth-round pick last year, was promoted from High A Greenville to Double A Portland after hitting .342/.471/.459. His .471 on-base ranked eighth among minor leaguers with at least 100 plate appearances.
Three down
⋅ The pitching depth in Triple A has taken a hit, as Josh Winckowski (right elbow inflammation) and Shane Drohan (left forearm inflammation) are in Fort Myers, Fla., rehabbing from injuries. Both are likely weeks away from pitching in games.
⋅ Infielder Mikey Romero is 2 for 21 with seven strikeouts and no walks in his last five games. The struggles come at a time when the 21-year-old — who has played shortstop for most of his professional career — has started seeing an uptick at third base. Of his 13 games this month, seven have come at third.
⋅ Outfielder Yophery Rodriguez, acquired from the Brewers in the Quinn Priester trade, is struggling to hit the ball with authority in Greenville. He doesn’t have an extra-base hit in 12 games, posting a .133/.304/.133 line in that span — though his struggles come with the caveat that, at 19, he’s the youngest position player in the South Atlantic League.
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