The Red Sox have acquired many star talent these past offseasons, including Trevor Story, Masataka Yoshida, Alex Bregman, Garrett Crochet, and Walker Buehler. But over these past five years, GMs Chaim Bloom and Craig Breslow have developed the farm system into the #1 best in baseball. This is a serious reminder of the Yankees’ farm system in the mid-1990s, where they became a dynasty with the Core 4. Kristian Campbell is the first of the three, and he’s doing very well so far after making the Opening Day Roster. With him up, two remain.
Marcelo Mayer
Drafted with the fourth overall pick in 2021, Red Sox #3 prospect Marcelo Mayer has proven himself big time. He’s the #11 prospect in baseball and is off to a hot start in 2025. Mayer has recorded 7 home runs in just 23 games, with an OPS of .872. He’s had injury concerns, with a lumbar strain in 2024 and a shoulder injury in 2023. But Mayer is proving his doubters wrong so far with an outstanding pace in Worcester. Many think it’s just a matter of time before he gets the call-up to the main roster. But one person has a different say about that: Trevor Story. Since the start of the season, Story has been red-hot, reaching a batting average of .337 and an .894 OPS.
But since April 22nd, those numbers have declined. He’s having a 6-game slump so far, only reaching base 4 times in his last 28 plate appearances. His average has drifted down to .272 with a .735 OPS. If he keeps slumping, Mayer’s call-up will become more and more inevitable. Marcelo Mayer has driven in more RBIs (34) than anyone else in the minors (21), alongside teammate Roman Anthony. With this in mind, the Red Sox still won’t call this man up. They’re seemingly waiting for the right time, because there’s simply no other reason why he’s not called up already. If Story’s slump continues, expect a benching and a call-up soon. If not, then Story can be a trade deadline acquisition for another team, and he’ll be called up then.
Roman Anthony
Roman Anthony is the #2 prospect in baseball, much to the chagrin of every baseball fan out there. He would’ve been #1 if it weren’t for Roki Sasaki’s signing. In the same sample size as Mayer, he’s played 23 games but has been even BETTER with the stick. He’s slugging an OPS of 1.039, hitting 5 home runs with a barrel rate of 38.7%, which is the highest in all of the minor leagues. He crushes the ball with his 6’2 frame and tall batting stance. Anthony is the best overall hitting prospect for the Red Sox since soon-to-be teammate Rafael Devers.
When will he get called up? That begs the question, as that belongs to the eyes of the beholder, Craig Breslow. His successor, Ceddanne Rafaela, has had a slow start to the season, and Anthony is raking in AAA. The problem is, where would they put Rafaela? His offense lacks consistency, but his fielding is one of the best in the game. If he could squeeze in as a Brock Holt-type super utility guy, there’s no question that the depth of the Red Sox would be solidified. A recommendation is to wait until June. That’s where the interesting things may happen…for both him and Marcelo Mayer.
Main Photo Credits: WooSox Photo/Ashley Green / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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