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Why Marcelo Mayer’s big homer is encouraging for Red Sox, almost ‘changed his mind’ on favorite player
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- Why Marcelo Mayer’s big homer is encouraging for Red Sox, almost ‘changed his mind’ on favorite player
BOSTON — At the end of spring training, the Red Sox handed Marcelo Mayer the second base job on the condition they’d protect him by not giving him starts against left-handed pitchers. On Friday, Mayer got his first at-bat against a southpaw this season — and delivered in a big way.
Facing veteran Wandy Peralta with two outs in the sixth inning, Mayer turned a one-run lead into a 5-2 advantage with a first-pitch, two-run homer that landed in the visitors’ bullpen at Fenway Park . It was his first career homer — and just his fifth-ever hit — against a lefty in the majors. And it was an encouraging sign for a player who is a breakout candidate for the Red Sox in 2026.
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“I’m not trying to make it bigger than what it is. It’s a baseball game,” Mayer said. “If A.C. wants me in against lefties, my job is to do whatever I need to do in that moment. Obviously, it feels good to produce against lefties given my opportunity but I’m just here to do whatever the team needs.
“A long offseason, and you dream about that rush again. I’m happy I got it out of the way at home.”
Mayer earned a roster spot with a strong spring training after manager Alex Cora challenged him early in camp. Still, Boston isn’t fully handing him the reins and instead plans to mix and match between utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Andruw Monasterio at second while Romy Gonzalez recovers from shoulder surgery . It’s why Mayer, who was 4-for-26 with 10 strikeouts in the majors last year and had a .638 OPS in Triple-A against southpaws, was out of the lineup on Opening Day in Cincinnati against Andrew Abbott .
“I think he will hit lefties but where we’re at right now with all the lefties we have in the lineup, we cannot just give them four or five lefties in the lineup against a lefty,” Cora said. “That’s the way we’re gonna do it. At one point, we’ll let him go and it’s gonna be OK.”
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On Friday, Mayer started against righty Michael King and made an immediate impact, smoking a double in his first at-bat. In the sixth, shortly after teammate Willson Contreras put Boston ahead with his first Red Sox homer, Mayer stepped to the plate with Wilyer Abreu on first and two outs. San Diego lifted King for the left-handed Peralta and Cora stuck with Mayer, though things could have been different.
“Probably, if it was first and second in that situation and they bring Peralta, we probably hit for him in that situation because we believe Monasterio is a good matchup,” Cora said.
Mayer ambushed a first-pitch sinker and lifted it to right field, where the uber-athletic Fernando Tatis Jr. was tracking the ball. For Mayer, a San Diego native, it was a moment where his past and present all flashed before his eyes. Luckily for the Red Sox, the ball got past Tatis’ glove and landed in the ‘pen.
“I wasn’t sure if he caught it,” Mayer said. “He’s a tremendous athlete. He was one of my favorite players growing up. If he would have caught that, I probably would have changed my mind.
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“(Peralta) has a really good sinker, a good slider, so I was just trying to see something up, be on time to the heater,” Mayer added. “I got it in the spot I was looking for and was able to put a good swing on it.”
Cora has made a point to ease young left-handed hitters into same-side matchups early in their careers, with Rafael Devers , Triston Casas , Jarren Duran and Abreu among those who have been platooned. Roman Anthony is an exception to the rule, but Mayer is not. That’ll continue to be the case, though Mayer will get plenty of at-bats in the coming days with San Diego and Milwaukee projected to throw right-handers in the final five games of the homestand.
“It’s not only managing that player,” Cora said. “It’s also managing the rest of the players on the roster. That’s what I get paid for.”
“I think people made a big deal out of the whole thing. At one point, he’ll face lefties. Today was his day.”
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In a small sample, Mayer has made an impact on a slow-to-start Red Sox offense. He trails only Abreu (6) with four extra-base hits in the first seven games of the year .
“I feel good,” he said. “I started off the season good and scuffled a little bit. It’s super early to tell, but I made a few good adjustments in the cage the last few days and feel like I’m more on time to more stuff lately.”
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