Marcelo Mayer rounding the bases after hitting a home run for the Portland Sea Dogs in an April 2024 game. Screenshot of a Minor League Baseball broadcast of the game.
Baseball America and Major League Baseball’s web site both have the same opinion; they contend that Marcelo Mayer is the top prospect in the Boston Red Sox organization.
The Red Sox selected the 21-year-old shortstop fourth overall in the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft and gave him a $6.664 million signing bonus — setting a franchise record for the largest draft signing bonus given out by the Red Sox.
Since then, Red Sox fans and prospect analysts have had high expectations for Mayer, who now plays for the Portland Sea Dogs, the Red Sox Double-A minor league affiliate.
NewBostonPost conducted an interview with Mayer at Dunkin’ Park (home of the Hartford Yard Goats, the Colorado Rockies Double-A affiliate) in Hartford, Connecticut, on Saturday, April 27.
During it, he shared information about himself and his career — like how he’s a fluent Spanish speaker despite being born in the United States.
“I’m a Spanish speaker,” Mayer said. “My family is from Mexico, so I grew up speaking Spanish. It’s my first language, then I learned English going to school in San Diego. I don’t know if a lot of people know that about me.“
More of the interview is below:
1. Tell us about the first time you hit a home run over the fence at a full-sized field.
[Laughs] Ah damn. I think I hit one home run my freshman year of high school. I think that was the first time. It was a special homer. Being a freshman, I was playing varsity. I snuck it down the right-field line which was probably the only place I could hit it out, but it was still a cool moment.
2. You were a switch hitter up until eighth grade. When’d you learn to switch hit and what prompted you to stop?
Yeah, I was a switch hitter, and I switch hit for four or five years, but I got to the point where I was in the cage for like hours because I didn’t want to take away from my lefty swings too, so I was like: ‘screw it. I’m just gonna hit lefty.’ Because I’d be in the cage for four hours and I wanted to have a life outside of hitting in the cage. But yeah, I like switch-hitting, but I think I hit lefties just fine.
3. You grew up in Chula Vista, California, less than 20 miles from the southern border, and 2023 marked the first time you’ve played for a baseball team in the Northeast with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs. How have you adapted to playing in a cold weather state like Maine, especially in April?
When I got called up last year, it wasn’t that bad. I got called up in like late May. I’d say when I got here this year was when I started dealing with the cold for the first time. We got snowed out the first two games which was a first for me because I’ve like barely seen snow in my life — let alone having games get snowed out. I think it’s just a mental thing. You’ve just got to go out there and play your game. Everyone else is cold, too.
4. People are paying over $1,000 for some of your baseball cards on eBay and someone once paid $132,000 for your card at an auction in 2022 when you were 19 years old. What was your reaction when you found out someone paid six figures for your baseball card?
That’s also pretty crazy. I don’t think I’d pay $130 grand for my own card — let alone someone else’s card, but it’s pretty cool.
5. When did you know you wanted to be a big leaguer and at what point did you realize that was feasible?
Ever since I was a kid, ever since I can remember, I was always playing with a little plastic ball and plastic bat, so this is all I’ve known my whole life. I played other sports too, but baseball was my love and I was always pretty good. But I think when I got to high school, made varsity, and committed to play college ball as a freshman, that was an indicator that I could be really good.
I got recruited [for college baseball] my eighth-grade summer going into my freshman year. After that, I got an offer and they started stacking on, but I committed like right when I became a freshman.
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Marcelo Mayer rounding the bases after hitting a home run for the Portland Sea Dogs in an April 2024 game. Screenshot of a Minor League Baseball broadcast of the game. 
