Truth had other concepts, and so the Red Sox attacked. All caveats about crapshoots and drafts aside, the choice has the possible to be franchise-altering and for as soon as the old saw holds true– the Red Sox could not think their excellent luck that such a skilled player landed in their lap.

How else to discuss the agreement No. 1 gamer in the draft, California high school shortstop Marcelo Mayer, slipping to them at No. 4? Practically every mock draft had him going initially or maybe second, and the club couldve been forgiven if it had actually diverted its searching resources elsewhere. On a night when bit was certain, at a bare minimum we knew Mayer would be long passed the time the Red Sox discovered themselves on the clock.

All these months we firmly insisted the Red Sox would be selecting 4th total, and then draft night got here and it turned out they were actually selecting first.

Twitter blows up after Red Sox choose arguably the leading possibility in the MLB Draft

Its like the Red Sox in fact had the very first pick in the draft. For one, the Red Sox are all set at shortstop for the foreseeable future with veteran Xander Bogaerts. When the draft started, the Red Sox anticipated Mayers name to be called first by the Pirates, but they took Louisville catcher Henry Davis. Unexpectedly, Mayer was teed up for Boston, and the Red Sox took a huge swing.

Mayer is a big fan of Tatis Jr., who spent parts of 3 seasons in the minors prior to reaching the Padres at age 20 in 2019. Seager was also drafted at 18, in 2012, and reached the major leagues 3 years later, winning the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2016. He wouldnt get here in Boston for great until 2025 if Mayer follows a comparable schedule
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” I think thats fair to say,” said scouting director Paul Toboni. “For sure, this wasnt the likeliest outcome in our eyes.”

That were even having this conversation appeared completely improbable on Sunday morning. When the draft began, the Red Sox anticipated Mayers name to be called initially by the Pirates, however they took Louisville catcher Henry Davis. The Rangers had actually been linked to several high school shortstops, however they choose Vanderbilt ace Jack Leiter, an assumed target of Bostons.

” The thing that really protrudes to me with Marcelos game is that he simply does whatever at a rate that it looks like hes doing it so, so easy,” Toboni stated. “You talk about quarterbacks slowing the game down? When hes in the box, this kid slows the game down both at shortstop and. Its like hes always under control.”.

On a night when bit was certain, at a bare minimum we knew Mayer would be long gone by the time the Red Sox discovered themselves on the clock.

It will most likely be a while before we see him in Boston. For one, the Red Sox are all set at shortstop for the foreseeable future with veteran Xander Bogaerts. For another, Mayer is only 18 and even the most innovative prospects require time to develop out of high school.

Suddenly, Mayer was teed up for Boston, and the Red Sox took a huge swing. It will be years before we can render a last judgment, but for now, remember the date: July 11, 2021. We may one day recall at it as the start of something unique.

” We would chat for long periods of time and I would ask (Altobelli) how Keoni was playing, the whole deal,” Toboni stated. “Very naturally, the conversation would always turn back to this amazing high school shortstop that was a sophomore at the time. It was like, he would tell me how Keoni played, however it felt like the bulk of our conversation every single time we talked was about this Marcelo kid.

He had no service lasting up until the Red Sox selected, however here we are. At 6-foot-3, 188 pounds and with space to grow, hes a larger shortstop in the mold of Seager or San Diegos Fernando Tatis Jr., however with the glove not just to stick at the position, however grow. A lot of searching services ranked him as both the finest offensive and defensive shortstop in the draft.

Mayer may not be a cant- miss talent like Alex Rodriguez or Bryce Harper or Joe Mauer, but that does not make his selection any less sensational. He was commonly considered deserving of the No. 1 total pick as a high school shortstop whom Toboni compared offensively to Dodgers Silver Slugger Corey Seager, and defensively to Giants Gold Glover Brandon Crawford
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Thats when phones began buzzing in the Red Sox draft space, with scouts getting tips from associates across the game that the Tigers were targeting high school pitcher Jackson Jobe with the third choice.

Mayer hit.392 with 15 crowning achievement at Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, Calif. Its due to the fact that it produced previous No. 1 total choice Adrian Gonzalez if that school sounds familiar. Its likewise the home of 2019s 13th total pick, Twins shortstop Keoni Cavaco.

Marcelo Mayer attended the very same high school as Adrian Gonzalez. Hes a five-tool shortstop. This is stunning. Its like the Red Sox actually had the first pick in the draft.– John Tomase (@jtomase) July 11, 2021.
When he saw a slender sophomore with a fluid swing and easy actions in the field, thats the gamer Red Sox area scout J.J. Altobelli was following two years back. That gamer was Mayer, not yet a home name.