Why Elite Red Sox Prospect Was ‘Extremely Angry’ After 2023 Season

Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer hit a snag in his development last season.

The 2021 first-round pick still showed flashes of why he’s considered one of the top prospects in baseball — particularly in the first half at High-A Greenville — but a shoulder injury hindered his on-field performance with Double-A Portland. The Red Sox ultimately shut him down toward the end of 2023 after Mayer initially tried to power through the injury.

“I was pissed,” Mayer recently told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier on NESN’s “310 to Left” podcast. “My season got cut short last year. I didn’t play well. I was dealing with injuries. I had a long offseason of a lot of therapy, going through a lot of things, so I was extremely angry. I wanted to just go out there and show myself and show people that I’m a competitor, I play hard and I’m really good.”

Mayer didn’t necessarily lose his prospect shine. It was clear to evaluators the shoulder injury hampered his production and that it’d be foolish to think his tantalizing skills suddenly diminished.

But the setback definitely added some extra motivation. And the 21-year-old shortstop has been nothing short of sensational with the Sea Dogs this season, a turnaround that could land him with Triple-A Worcester before long.

“I think I’ve had a great year so far,” Mayer told Speier. “Obviously, it’s good to see numbers up there. I think I’ve gone about my business the right way, gone about my work the right way.”

The Red Sox have surprised skeptics at the major league level this season, with timely pitching, speed and a youthful exuberance keeping Boston in the thick of the American League wild-card race through three months.

Don’t sleep on what’s happening down in the farm system, though, as Mayer, the fourth overall pick in 2021, is reminding everyone why he has star potential whenever he reaches the big leagues.