Should You be Adding Marcelo Mayer Off the Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire?
Assessing Boston's Marcelo Mayer after he was called up to the big leagues.
Another big MLB callup happened over the weekend. The Boston Red Sox called up Marcelo Mayer.
Let's discuss what the move means from a fantasy perspective.
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Transaction News
Mayer is a top-end prospect, so him getting called up is big news. The problem is that the reason he was brought up was to replace Alex Bregman, who is on the 10-day injured list with a right quad strain.
Bregman has not only been one of the top fantasy baseball hitters in the game this year, but one of the better hitters in real life. His absence is a massive blow to the Red Sox, and now they are counting on a young hitter to hopefully fill some of the void.
That's a lot of pressure right out of the gate for a top-end prospect, which can be a scary proposition for an organization. Boston must think pretty highly of Mayer to make the move.
Stats and Grades
First, let's look at what Bregman has done this season.
Across 51 games and 226 plate appearances, Bregman has a .299 average and .385 on-base percentage. He has 17 doubles and 11 homers among his 59 total hits. Bregman also has 35 RBIs, a stolen base, 32 runs scored, 22 walks and 42 strikeouts.
He was off to a blistering start at the plate, and hasn't had many lulls. Bregman played third base in all 51 of his appearances.
Mayer is the No. 8 prospect in all of baseball, yet is the No. 2 Boston prospect. Roman Anthony is the team's top prospect, and is ranked first overall.
Mayer is 22 years old and is a left-handed hitter. He was drafted fourth overall by the Red Sox in 2021. Mayer is 6-foot-3 and 188 pounds.
In parts of five minor league seasons, Mayer played in 315 games. He had a .273 average and .360 OBP. He has 46 homers, six triples and 86 doubles among his 335 total hits, along with 205 RBIs, 165 walks, 48 stolen bases, 220 runs scored and 324 strikeouts.
He has a 60 overall grade. Mayer has a 60 mark for his arm, 55s for hitting, power and fielding and a 40 in run.
Mayer's Fantasy Outlook
Mayer has jumped up to 31% rostered after being called up on Saturday.
Boston played a doubleheader on Saturday. Mayer started one game, batting sixth against a left-handed starter.
Mayer batted sixth on Sunday against another lefty. He started at third base for both contests.
Through two games and eight at-bats, Mayer has two hits, a single and a double. He's failed to walk yet, and struck out three times.
He's listed as a shortstop, and should stick there in the long run with his fielding grades. Mayer has played second, third and shortstop in the minor leagues, so he's got a great chance to stick in the lineup, even when Bregman comes back.
Batting sixth isn't the best for his fantasy outlook, but the Red Sox are good enough to give him some RBI chances from that spot in the lineup.
Should You Add Mayer?
I'll start this section by saying I think Mayer should be rostered in some deeper redraft leagues right now.
He's a highly-regarded prospect, and that alone means everyone needs to keep their eyes on him. Mayer should at least be added in most deeper leagues, even if he just sits on your bench for a couple weeks.
Mayer can be an additional infield bat to utilize, or just a depth piece until he heats up at the plate.
With some strong results at the plate, Mayer could become a standard league redraft option in a hurry, that's why everyone needs to keep an eye on him. His results through two games are pretty solid, although the strikeouts will be something to watch.
Mayer can fill the stat sheet, which obviously is a plus for his fantasy outlook. In due time, I expect Mayer to be that kind of fantasy hitter, but that's a lot to ask out of a player making his MLB debut.
Of course, Mayer is most valuable in dynasty/keeper leagues. He should be owned in just about all of those leagues. Don't overreact one way or the other to how Mayer performs in this stint in the big leagues, and just keep optimistic about his long-term value.
I expect Mayer to stick in the big leagues for most of the rest of this season, if he hits well enough that is. The Red Sox will make a spot/playing time for Mayer if he deserves it.
We'll keep an eye on Mayer as he progresses in his first stint in the big leagues. Check back for our waiver wire articles!
