Red Sox Name Mayer Primary 2B, Ease Him In

0:00It's March 24th. This is Boston Red Sox News today, AI-powered stories from inside your team. Boston Red Sox Manager Alex Korra has named Marcelo Mayer the team's primary second basement for the season. The 23-year-old prospect earned the spot after a solid spring training, beating out Christian Campbell, who got sent down to the minors. The Red Sox see big potential in Mayer, despite his so-so surface stats from last year. Digging deeper, Mayer's underlying numbers look encouraging. In 136 played appearances last season, he posted a 90-mile per-hour average exit velocity, over 50% hard-hit rate, and nearly 10% barrel rate, even with a rough spring-slash line, Korra noted improvements in his play discipline, especially on low pitches. That said, the team plans to ease him in carefully, particularly against left-handed pitchers. Mayer might sit the first couple games in Cincinnati, with South Pauls on the mound. His high-strike outrate and low-walk rate last year, raised some flags for a young hitter-facing

1:02tough match-ups right away. If Mayer needs a break, veterans like Isaiah Kiner-Fileffa could step in. Kiner-Fileffa hid well this spring and offers steady defense with speed from last season. Andrew Monasterio is another option, shining against lefties in limited big league time. The Red Sox love Mayer's upside, but his everyday role would depend on early performance. If he heats up quick, Boston's infield could lock in and get a lot stronger from the start.