Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer Compared To 2-Time World Series MVP By MLB Veteran

It's hard to know exactly who a top prospect is going to be before he debuts, but major league veterans who see him play can often provide some perspective.

The Boston Red Sox have two of the top 10 prospects in the sport hanging out in Triple-A. Outfielder Roman Anthony is the consensus number-one farmhand in the game, but shortstop Marcelo Mayer is nipping at his heels.

The 22-year-old Mayer has slumped a bit of late, but he still has a .262/.332/.451 slash line with 41 RBI in 41 games at Triple-A. He's also started playing some second base, which could be his eventual position in Boston this season if rookie Kristian Campbell makes the transition to first base.

As he prepares for his debut, which feels like it could come at a moment's notice, Mayer is drawing rave reviews from a veteran big-leaguer who saw him play for over a month in Worcester.

Red Sox utility man Abraham Toro, who is currently playing some first base in the big leagues with Triston Casas and Romy González injured, compared Mayer to five-time major league All-Star Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers for the effortless way he plays the game on both sides of the ball.

“It’s so relaxed,” Toro said, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. “On the defensive side, he kind of reminds me of (Corey) Seager. It’s so loose and it’s like he’s not trying — and I’m not saying he’s not. That’s the feel.

“Even his swing, it looks like he’s not trying but like bat speed, I work out with him, it’s one of the best. So that’s helped him to be successful.”

Seager, who is still just 31, has two World Series rings, two World Series Most Valuable Player Awards, three Silver Sluggers, and a Rookie of the Year trophy in the bag. If Mayer can pile up even a third of that hardware, his career will be a big success.

It's hard to hear Toro's praise for Mayer and keep the excitement down for the youngster to arrive in Boston. But there's no telling still just how many more days he'll have to toil away in Worcester.