Boston's ¡°Big 3¡± prospects have been the talk of the baseball world in the fledgling season.
The discourse started with Kristian Campbell¡¯s hot start -- a 1.188 OPS through five Major League games. On Sunday, the focus shifted to Roman Anthony after he launched his first and second Triple-A homers of the season.
It was Marcelo Mayer¡¯s turn on Tuesday. MLB¡¯s No. 11 prospect belted his first jack of the season for the Worcester Red Sox in a 10-5 loss to the Jumbo Shrimp at VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville.
COMPLETE RED SOX PROSPECT COVERAGE
- Red Sox Top 30 prospects
- Prospect stats: Today | Last 10 | Last 30
- Draft pick stats
- Highlights
The big fly also was the first Triple-A homer for Mayer, who was promoted to the level last season but never took the field due to a back injury.
Tuesday¡¯s matchup was a battle of rehabbing big leaguers with right-hander Edward Cabrera toeing the rubber for Jacksonville and righty Brayan Bello on the mound for Worcester. Facing Cabrera in his first at-bat, Mayer slapped a 98 mph fastball to the right of first base and beat the covering Cabrera to the bag.
More from MLB Pipeline:
? Top 100 prospects | Stats | Video | Podcast | Complete coverage
After grounding out in his next at-bat, Boston's No. 3 prospect stepped back up to the dish in the sixth against left-hander Patrick Monteverde and crushed the second pitch he saw to right field. The three-run laser -- which registered a 106.9 mph EV -- traveled 411 feet, cleared the concourse beyond the seats and bounced toward a parking garage in the distance.
Mayer finished the night 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a walk.
Much like Campbell and Anthony, Mayer -- who occupied Boston¡¯s No. 1 prospect slot from 2022-24 -- is expected to contribute to the Major League club this season. To create versatility, he will spend time at third base and second in addition to his native position of shortstop while with Worcester. Tuesday's game marked his first start of the season at third, after he manned short in the previous two.
Injuries have been an obstacle for Mayer. The California native missed the second half of the 2023 season due to a bad shoulder, but posted a .308/.370/.480 slash line at Double-A Portland last year before being sidelined again with a lumbar strain. Mayer bounced back again with a .983 OPS in Spring Training.
Known for his smooth movements in the field and at the dish, Mayer will continue to get Triple-A experience under his belt this season as he awaits his expected call to Fenway Park.