The Boston Red Sox took some lumps on Sunday in a 5-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. This comes shortly after Alex Bregman was ruled out for an extended period of time with a quad strain, which throws the entire Red Sox season out of whack. Without Bregman, and without much stability in the rotation, it's unclear how far the .500 Red Sox can go from here.
That said, there was one shining positive from Sunday's loss: the debut of MLB's No. 8 prospect, Marcelo Mayer. The talented 22-year-old split time between third base and shortstop, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. He batted sixth in his first MLB start, right behind fellow top prospect Kristian Campbell. The Red Sox are leaning on their youth in a time of need, and it may just work out.
Equally as exciting as Mayer's debut was the response from Roman Anthony, Boston's No. 1 prospect and the next in line for a big-league call-up.
The entire Red Sox fanbase was probably making the 🥹 face, if we're being honest. This comes just a day after Anthony was seen greeting Mayer with a hug following the announcement of his MLB promotion. It's hard to knock the vibes with this young Red Sox core.
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Roman Anthony was all smiles after Marcelo Mayer's first MLB hit
Anthony and Mayer have both been raking with Triple-A Worcester this season. Boston is in a somewhat unique position with three top-10 prospects of a similar age, who have all played extensively alongside one another. There's a good chance that all three are anchoring the Red Sox lineup within the next calendar year. Campbell has already earned his keep; Mayer's about to get an extended tryout absent Bregman. Anthony's time is coming, whether a spot opens up or he simply claims one.
Sunday was proof of Alex Cora's willingness to move Mayer around the infield. He will spend extensive time at third base in Bregman's stead, but expect plenty of shortstop reps as well — especially with many fans expecting Mayer to eventually kick Trevor Story out of the lineup once Bregman is back at the hot corner.
Both Mayer and Campbell can move around the infield (and the outfield, in Campbell's case), which makes it a heck of a lot easier for Cora to play them — and a lot harder to make up excuses to not play them. Mayer will get a months-long window without Bregman in the lineup based on early signals. Color me genuinely shocked if he's sent back to the WooSox in two months. This feels like Mayer's arrival, full stop.
Now we all wait with bated breath for Anthony, who is arguably the best overall talent in Boston's entire program. The outfield depth chart is crowded in Beantown, but Ceddanne Rafaela can only hold off MLB's top overall prospect for so much longer.