MiLB Red Sox Notebook: How have Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony looked over the first week? What’s next for Bello and Giolito? Affiliates get underway

Marcelo Mayer wants an opportunity to break into the Red Sox lineup, but first, he must handle Triple-A pitching the next few weeks, unless someone goes down with an injury. The top prospect, who is currently with the WooSox, has had some key moments at the plate over the last week. 

Mayer went 1-for-4 with a homer and two RBI in the WooSox’ 2-0 shutout win over the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. The California native has now homered in back-to-back games for the first time since June 2023.

Through his first five games in Worcester, Mayer is 5-for-21 (.238) with two home runs, seven RBI, and a .797 OPS.

Mayer’s home run comes on the same night as Trevor Story finally had a breakout game for the Red Sox on the road in Baltimore. The Sox shortstop had been off to a slow start entering Wednesday night’s game, going just 2-for-15 with one walk, six strikeouts, and no extra-base hits. He went 3-for-4 with a 394-foot homer in the second inning.

Ironically, Story’s blast against the Orioles came around the same time that Mayer hit his second homer on the season for the WooSox.

Once Mayer is ready for the big leagues, it'll be interesting to see what the team does with Story. Injuries have plagued the veteran over his time with Boston, missing 298 games and having four stints on the injured list. Story missed 133 games last year because of a left shoulder injury, which was caused after making a diving attempt to field a ground ball hit by Angels’ Mike Trout. The Sox shortstop worked hard in his rehab and returned to the Sox’ lineup before the season came to a close.

Mayer has experienced time on the injured list before. Season-ending injuries have impacted the former first-round pick's ascent through the Sox’ system and the Majors. In 2023, a left shoulder inflammation shut him down, and last season, a lumbar strain he suffered weeks before his Triple-A promotion ended his campaign.

“I’ve played the game really hard, and sometimes you get hurt doing that,” Mayer said this spring. “But my body feels really good. I’m in a good spot, and I’m excited for this year.” 

Mayer felt like he had earned a spot on the Red Sox’ Opening Day roster after an impressive spring, hitting .333 with a .983 OPS over 20 Grapefruit League games.

Despite his outstanding spring, Mayer was disappointed not to secure a spot on the Red Sox roster.

“Yeah,” Mayer said during an appearance on WEEI’s Jones and Keefe show on Opening Day from Polar Park. “All that stuff isn’t up to me. But as a player and based on performance, I feel like I did earn a spot on that team. With that being said, things didn’t go my way, and now I’m here. and I’m just going to get after it every single day. Keep doing what I’m doing.”

Alex Cora wasn’t fazed by Mayer’s comments but appreciated his passion for wanting to help contribute to the Red Sox roster.

“Roberto Alomar cried when he got sent down in 1988, and he became a Hall of Famer,” Cora said.

The skipper stated that Mayer possesses the appropriate demeanor and comprehends his disappointment at not being selected for the team.

“He played well. He played good defense at different positions; the swing is on point. We had a good conversation when we sent him down,” he said.

“He’s just got to be patient. That’s the way it works. We’ve got some good players here. [Mayer] is very mature. He’s a good defender. He cares about defense,” Cora said. “He really does, which I love. It’s easy for him to play defense. Offensively, there’s a few things that we truly believe he needs to get better.”

Cora said that the emergence of Kristian Campbell and the need for a right-handed bat factored into the decision of not adding Mayer out of camp. Campbell has been rewarding the Red Sox with their decision to promote him to the big league roster out of camp, hitting .417 (10-for-24) with two homers, four doubles, four RBI, four walks, and 20 total bases in seven games to begin the season.

CAMPBELL GRATEFUL FOR NEW EXTENSION

Campbell has been one of the bright spots for the Red Sox over the first six games to open the season. He signed an eight-year, $60 million extension on Wednesday afternoon that includes two options that can push the deal close to $100 million.

“It definitely is crazy,” Campbell said about the past year. “It is fast ... but it’s a good thing. My family’s super excited. I’m super excited to be here. And like I said, they developed me. They turned me into what it is. They put their trust in me and developed me and helped me become a great player. And yeah, so as long as I continue to work hard, everything should be fine."

Campbell has mentioned multiple times over the winter and even this past week that he wanted to sign a long-term deal with the Red Sox because of how they’ve developed him since he was drafted out of Georgia Tech.

The Sox’ rookie has drawn comparisons to Hunter Pence due to his unorthodox swing at the plate. Campbell's offensive strength lies in his exceptional contact rate. He posted a 90% overall contact rate this spring with a tremendous in-zone contact rate of 94% while in college.

“Despite the atypical movement pattern, he is a disciplined hitter—aside from some chase on elevated fastballs—who rarely whiffs on pitches in the zone,” Baseball America wrote in their latest scouting report on the Red Sox top prospect. “His defensive actions, like his swing, are unconventional and somewhat choppy, and some scouts and teams are skeptical of his defensive value.”

Campbell said that he gives the Red Sox development staff credit for “everything” he's learned offensively and defensively since he’s been drafted.

“Putting the ball in the air more is one thing,” Campbell said. “But even defensively, helping me work in the infield and outfield" I had some adjustments I had to make in spring training when it came to the infield. And I’ve made those adjustments. And they’ve helped me become a better player every day.

“And when it comes to the outfield, they’re teaching me that still,” Campbell added. “It’s still new kind of new to me. But it’s just from day one, no matter who I’m with — whether it is the guys in Greenville, the coaches or staff in Greenville, or the major league coaches in Boston — everybody’s been open and been willing to help me be a better player each and every day. And that’s really important to me.”

Campbell's rapid rise through the Red Sox system can be attributed to his talent and potential, as well as the organization's focus on enhancing his player tools.

“They developed me from day one,” he said. “As soon as I got drafted, they’ve been working with me every day. I’ve learned something new every day. They’ve helped me become the player I am today. So it means a lot to me that I’m with the Red Sox for a long time.”

ROMAN SHOWING OFF POWER

Roman Anthony showed off his power on Sunday afternoon, belting two homers in the WooSox’ 12-0 win over the Syracuse Mets. The top prospects elite raw power and swing decisions are two of his best offensive traits.

In the sixth inning, Anthony crushed a cutter up and in from former teammate Justin Hagenman 412 feet over the Worcester Wall in right field. Two innings later, Hagenman hurled a first-pitch sinker over the heart of the plate, and Anthony sent it the other way, 364 feet over the wall into left center.

In the series opener in Jacksonville, Anthony tripled on a sharp fly ball into center field past the Jumbo Shrimps’ Jakob Marsee. The WooSox’ slugger tried to push his triple into an inside-the-park homer but was thrown out at the plate.

Anthony has worked seven walks in 16 at-bats with two homers, one triple, four RBI, a stolen base, and 11 total bases.

The left-handed hitter has torn up Triple-A pitching since his promotion last August, playing in 35 games he slashed .344/.465/.519 and followed that up with a strong spring to put him on the fast track for a potential promotion in the coming months.

The Red Sox have not yet promoted Mayer and Anthony; front office boss Craig Breslow is concentrating on a global outlook for his two talented prospects.

“I think these are three guys who are going to have a tremendous impact on our organization, not just in 2025 but beyond, and also for the two guys specifically who are still in the minor leagues, two players in Roman and Marcelo who are going to dictate their timelines,” Breslow said on MLB Network last weekend.

WOOSOX PITCHING NOTES

Quinn Priester lost his first start of the season against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. The 24-year-old righty allowed two runs on six hits, no walks, and six strikeouts over seven frames.

Priester was sinker and slider heavy in the outing, only throwing his fastball two times; he finished his start with 13 swings and misses.

Robert Stock made his second appearance of the year on April 2 in relief of Lucas Giolito. The veteran led all of the International League with 16 swings and misses, led by his cutter and sinker combination.

Stock pitched the season opener from Polar Park last Friday and delivered four scoreless innings, striking out six. Stock allowed three total baserunners and threw 62% strikes in his first affiliated start since 2023.

Speaking of Giolito, he went 2 1/3 scoreless innings on Wednesday night. The righty averaged 93.2 mph with his 26 four-seam fastballs and topped out at 94.7 mph. He also threw 13 changeups, 11 sliders, and one curveball, according to Baseball Savant.

“Threw the ball OK. Healthy, which is the most important thing,” Cora said.

Giolito is expected to make his next rehab start on Tuesday for either the WooSox or Sea Dogs. Cora said that Giolito and Brayan Bello will need at least two more rehab outings before rejoining the Red Sox.

“We’ll reassess the situation (after) the next one but not close yet,” Cora said before the Sox’ series finale in Baltimore. “I think if you do the math, it’s very similar to spring training.”

BRYAN MATA FEELS 'PRETTY CLOSE TO DREAM'

Red Sox pitcher Bryan Mata was a “dark horse” candidate to potentially make the Red Sox roster out of spring training. Instead, he was optioned to Triple-A Worcester, but not before Cora said his hard-throwing righty was “throwing the (expletive) out of the ball.”

“It’s definitely good to hear something like that — good to hear the Big League coach say that,” Mata said through translator/defensive coach Iggy Suarez last Friday at Polar Park. “Definitely a motivator. I think what he wants me to concentrate on is staying healthy and putting the work in every day.”

Mata, who was once considered a top pitching prospect in the Sox’ system, is hoping this year he finally cracks the big league roster.

“I definitely feel like I am close,” Mata said. “But I’m reminding myself to try to stay present in the moment knowing I’m here and get the work in now. I feel healthy. Knowing in the back of my mind that I am pretty close to my dream”.

Mata said that he didn’t alter the way he trained this winter but stayed back in Boston longer after the year ended to continue with his rehab. The flamethrowing righty pitched in 15 games in the Venezuelan Winter League for Magallanes, posting a 2.87 ERA with 11 strikeouts to eight walks (15 2/3 innings, five earned runs).

He’s pitched in just one game for the WooSox this season, tossing a clean inning of work and recording one strikeout.

RED SOX AFFILIATES GET UNDERWAY

The Red Sox minor league affiliates will get their seasons underway on Friday, officially kicking off the Double-A, High-A, and Low-A schedules.

The Portland Sea Dogs will open their season on the road in Reading on Friday evening.

Portland’s roster has some exciting pieces in the likes of pitching prospects Connelly Early, Yordanny Monegro, David Sandlin, Blake Wehunt, and Luis Perales.

Of the five pitchers mentioned, Perales remains on the injured list recovering from Tommy John surgery. When healthy, Perales possesses overpowering stuff on the mound, highlighted by his elite fastball.

“He has swing-and-miss stuff with a power fastball,” Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham told reporters in January. “A guy who strikes guys out, misses bats, and keeps guys off the bases. Anytime you have a combination like that with a pitcher who has the stuff, it can be really exciting.”

He offered an arsenal that included a slider, a changeup, and a cutter last season before he went down with his arm injury.

Wehunt is another intriguing pitcher with the Sea Dogs; the 6-foot-7 and 240-pound hurler looks menacing on the mound due to his height. The righty offers a unique delivery on the mound that you don’t see too often from pitchers.

“It is actually a funny story for me to say.” Wehunt said on the “To the Show” Baseball Podcast. “When I was 11 or 12 years old, my dad would do these drills with me to where he would make me throw the ball and make me pick up a dollar off the ground. As funny as it is, I got in the routine of picking up the dollar after I finished throwing. My dad told me that if I picked the dollar up, I could keep it. So, we would be in the yard, and I would do my delivery, and I would pick up the dollar after I threw it, and I guess it just fell into a habit, and I got used to it.”

Fun fact: Wehunt grew up working on his father's chicken farm in Georgia. 

With a hot start to the season, Blaze Jordan could quickly find himself with the WooSox. The 22-year-old played in 89 games last season, missing time with two stints on the IL, one with a broken finger and another after he was hit in the face with a fastball. 

Jordan heard his name floated in trade rumors this offseason when the Red Sox were deciding on whether to trade for Nolan Arenado or sign Alex Bregman. Keep an eye out for Mikey Romero; he's in the next wave of top young Red Sox infield prospects climbing his way up the system.

The Greenville Drive’s roster is jam-packed with top prospects and some newcomers that could get some buzz this summer.

The Drive are led by six of the club’s top 30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, including left-hander Payton Tolle (No. 16), righty Juan Valera (No. 18), righty Jedixson Paez (No. 20), outfielder Nelly Taylor (No. 21), shortstop Nazzan Zanetello (No. 24), and left-hander Jojo Ingrassia (No. 28).

The 18-year-old Valera will open the season in High-A despite having limited experience in the Sox’ system.

“He had a productive offseason, coming into camp strong, physically and mentally,” Abraham said of Valera. “We saw a jump in velocity and an improvement in his secondaries, along with a willingness to challenge in the zone. He earned an opportunity to be challenged in Greenville.”

In 18 games during the 2024 campaign, Valera posted a 1.99 ERA and struck out 68 batters. He also held opponents to a .125 batting average and added one hold to his resume. While splitting time between two levels, the talented hurler was hard to face and one of the best relievers in the system. 

The Salem Red Sox have some young pitchers that are a few years away from Double-A and Triple-A, but there’s some promise with this group.

Right-hander Blake Aita opens on Salem’s roster and will start their season opener on Friday night. The Sox drafted Aita last summer out of the sixth round. The Kennesaw State product didn’t pitch after he was drafted due to his heavy workload in college.

“After the draft, they kind of just built us up throwing-wise and lifting-wise, kind of just got us all into the same position going forward,” Aita said on “To the Show” Baseball Show in March. “Then the offseason was a lot of just like velo-based workouts, like running, gaining some weight, trying to get some more mass so we could all throw some more gas. But it's been just a lot of training and development.”

Aita is an intriguing arm that offers the potential of having swing and miss stuff. The 21-year-old will be developed as a starter in the minors and could emerge as a candidate for a promotion to High-A Greenville this season.

Yoeilin Cespedes is back on the field after undergoing season-ending surgery last July due to a hamate fracture.

“I’m just glad to be back here and glad to be back healthy and ready to go and continue to be impressive,” said Cespedes, speaking through team strength and conditioning trainer and translator Jose Benjamin.

The No. 7 overall prospect in the Sox’ system, according to MLB Pipeline, projects as a second baseman/shortstop, getting comps to former Angels infielder Howie Kendrick.