- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,131,273
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
Could Move To Shortstop Be The Key To Unlock Marcelo Mayer's Potential? originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
With Trevor Story out for the next six to 10 weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia, the Boston Red Sox will finally turn to 23-year-old Marcelo Mayer to man shortstop for the near future.
Mayer was one of the Red Sox's top prospects heading into last season and was later called up to the big leagues, slashing .228/.272/.402 with four home runs and 10 RBIs in 44 games. The young infielder has not taken much of a step forward at the plate in his sophomore season, slashing .214/.277/.300 with only two home runs and 11 RBIs in 47 games.
Though Mayer has yet to break out this season, could the move to shortstop be the key to unlocking his potential? It wouldn't be the first time a Red Sox player stepped up big when moved to their natural position, similar to what Ceddanne Rafaela did last season.
"It isn’t out of the ordinary for a young player to exude more confidence at the plate when playing their natural position on defense," MLB.com's Ian Browne wrote on Monday. "Perhaps that can be the case for Marcelo Mayer, who made his MLB debut at his natural position on Sunday and will stay there at least until Trevor Story returns from a prolonged stint on the 10-day injured list.
"We saw it last year with Ceddanne Rafaela, who performed far better at the plate when playing center field than he did at second base. It will be interesting to see what Mayer, a .214 career hitter, can do offensively while playing his most comfortable position."
In addition to Rafaela, Xander Bogaerts had a similar jump in production for the Red Sox when he was moved permanently to shortstop in 2014. It's unclear whether the move to shortstop will propel Mayer to new heights, but it will be interesting to see the young infielder play his natural position.
More MLB: Red Sox's Eight-Time All-Star Already Drawing Trade Interest, Per Insider
Continue reading...
