Matt Johnson
The Boston Red Sox have been one of the worst teams in baseball this season and it’s only been made worse by turmoil and leaks from inside the organization. As the club’s skid continues, it seems the leaks are only getting worse.
According to Sean McAdam of MassLive.com there are some in the Red Sox organization who question Marcelo Mayer’s “mental toughness and his tendency to withdraw during his slumps.”
“Mayer has his detractors within the organization. Some question his mental toughness and his tendency to withdraw during slumps. Others wonder if he couldn’t do a better job making himself more available through the day-to-day minor physical setbacks that inevitably occur.”
MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam on Boston Red Sox infielder Marcelo Mayer
Mayer, who is still just 23 years old, was selected by Boston with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. He quickly worked his way through the farm system, making his MLB debut last season. However, his first full season in the majors has gone poorly.
- Marcelo Mayer stats (2026): .220/.282/.312, .594 OPS, 10 doubles, 3 home runs, 22 RBI, 3 stolen bases in 205 at-bats
Through his first 114 career games, Mayer has posted just a .223/.278/.346 triple-slash line with only 7 home runs and 32 RBI in 364 plate appearances. Of particular concern is the fact that he hasn’t shown true signs of improvement as a hitter.
While Mayer’s strikeout rate has dropped from year to year (30.1 percent to 19.3 percent), it’s also come with a decline in his isolated power (.173 to .093) and his 62 wRC+ is one of the worst among everyday players.
Prior to being placed on the 10-day injured list this week due to a bone stress reaction to his left ulna, there seemed to be genuine debate about sending him down to Triple-A Worcester. When he does fully recover from the injury, Boston could give him an extended rehab assignment before activating him off the injured list.
What’s troubling here is the fact that some within the Red Sox organization feel comfortable enough to leak this even with Mayer still on the roster. Ordinarily, franchises would wait to let out internal frustration and complaints about a player until after they have been moved to another team or released.
Mayer’s struggles also feel like another painful reminder of what happened with former top prospect Kristian Campbell. In April 2025, Boston signed the top prospect to an eight-year contract extension worth $60 million. However, he compiled just a .223/.319/.345 triple-slash line across 229 at-bats in the majors before being demoted. This season in Triple-A, he has compiled just a .594 OPS thanks to a .220/.282/.312 triple-slash line across 205 at-bats.
While it’s too soon for the organization to give up on either player, their struggles raise legitimate questions regarding Boston’s ability to develop young talent and turn them into MLB-caliber hitters. Given how poorly Boston is faring in that regard, it doesn’t really come as a surprise that the team is 34-46 right now with a lineup that ranks 26th in slugging (.386) and 29th in runs scored (319).
