{"id":662550,"date":"2026-04-04T10:44:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T10:44:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/662550\/"},"modified":"2026-04-04T10:44:01","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T10:44:01","slug":"eastlake-highs-marcelo-mayer-finding-his-place-with-boston-red-sox","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/662550\/","title":{"rendered":"Eastlake High’s Marcelo Mayer finding his place with Boston Red Sox"},"content":{"rendered":"

BOSTON \u2014 The trip to Petco Park last August had been circled on Marcelo Mayer\u2019s calendar. The former No. 4 overall pick out of Chula Vista\u2019s Eastlake High School had gotten his call-up that May, had a two-homer game in June and had flashed throughout his first two months of the season.<\/p>\n

He was sticking even if he wasn\u2019t wowing.<\/p>\n

Then his right wrist locked up during a swing. The ensuing stint on the injured list and season-ending surgery canceled the 23-year-old\u2019s first trip to Petco Park as a professional.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was tough,\u201d Mayer said Friday morning in the home clubhouse as he prepared for his first home opener at Fenway Park. \u201cThat was the only one that was penciled in my calendar. Obviously, just wanted to go home. Grew up going to that park. I love it there. I have so many family and friends that support me over there that it definitely would have been a great experience. But yeah, obviously it didn\u2019t work out. It\u2019s all in God\u2019s hands. It definitely would have been fun, but I\u2019m excited for today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clearly.<\/p>\n

The left-handed-hitting Mayer went on to double off the Green Monster in left field to lead to Boston\u2019s first run and later homered off left-hander Wandy Peralta to punctuate Boston\u2019s 5-2 win<\/a> over his hometown Padres. Afterward, Mayer smiled while trying to dismiss the thought of getting something extra out of the connection to the team in town for his first home series of the season.<\/p>\n

Marcelo mashes his first of the year! pic.twitter.com\/A1fccULaPJ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Red Sox (@RedSox) April 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, we\u2019re just playing another big-league team, and we need to handle our business here,\u201d Mayer said. \u201cObviously, I\u2019d say the biggest thing was that it\u2019s cool that I know everyone back home is watching, because a lot of my friends root for the Padres. A lot of family members root for (the) Padres. So I knew the community was back there watching, and then I\u2019ve been getting good support from (back home).\u201d<\/p>\n

Mayer\u2019s banner day came less than a week after making the opening-day roster after moving to the other side of the diamond in spring training. He signed for $6.67 million after the 2021 draft and played mostly shortstop in ascending as high as No. 10 in Baseball America\u2019s top-100 prospect rankings, but the Red Sox had a shortstop in Trevor Story.<\/p>\n

Mayer debuted last year as a third baseman. But Boston\u2019s trade for Caleb Durbin opened a path for Mayer to win the job at second base this spring. He did enough in spring training (.695 OPS) for the Red Sox to make him Story\u2019s double-play partner to start the year.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo far, so good,\u201d Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. \u201cThey\u2019ve turned a few double plays. The angles are different. He\u2019s still learning and there\u2019s a lot of teaching with him. \u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cBut overall pretty solid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Added Mayer: \u201cIt\u2019s been a pretty good adjustment so far. Got a lot of reps in the spring this year, so I\u2019m feeling more and more comfortable every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bat is coming along, too.<\/p>\n

Which is to be expected, given his pedigree.<\/p>\n

While injury troubles barred Mayer from ever playing a full minor league season \u2014 he had an .888 OPS while topping out at 91 games played in the low minors in 2022 \u2014 a 60-70 grade hit tool was the calling card that allowed him to continue climbing the ladder.<\/p>\n

Mayer had nine homers and an .818 OPS at Triple-A Worcester at the time of his call-up last year, had four homers and a .674 OPS in the majors when his wrist injury ended his season and is 5-for-17 to start the year after doubling to left and scoring the first run of the season at Fenway and then homering just over the reach of a leaping Fernando Tatis Jr. in right on the first pitch he saw from Peralta in the sixth.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a long offseason,\u201d Mayer said. \u201cYou dream about those moments just to feel that rush again and I\u2019m happy I got it out of the way at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because the Padres alternate years for their trips to American League cities, Mayer\u2019s return to Petco Park will have to wait another year.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s fine. He\u2019s more than happy to revel in where he\u2019s at right now.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis place has so much history, the city of Boston is so special and the people here are so special,\u201d Mayer said. \u201cThe fans push us. It\u2019s one of the biggest sport cities in the world. They have four really good teams every year. Just to be, to be an athlete here, it\u2019s a great honor.\u201d<\/p>\n

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