The 2021 MLB draft to take young players from the NCAA and sign them to their respective organizations. Surely you have heard the names of Kumar Rocker or Jack Leiter As the most viable players to be selected number one, however, there is one more prospect who can ‘eat the errand’ for that pair of Vanderbilt University pitchers.
It’s about the young man Marcelo mayer, an American baseball shortstop. He is considered one of the best prospects for the 2021 Major League Draft. Barely 18 years old, he was born on December 12, 2002, he hits left-handed and pitches right:
Mayer attends Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, California. He became the starting shortstop for the Eastlake Titans varsity as a freshman in 2018. He pledged to play college baseball at the University of Southern California after his freshman year.
As a sophomore in 2019, he hit .261 in addition to pitching with a 2.00 ERA in five appearances. In 2020, his junior season, he hit .294 with three home runs, six RBIs and two doubles before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
That summer, he played in the Perfect Game All-American Classic. In his senior year in 2021, Mayer hit .392 with 14 homers and 45 RBIs. Mayer is 1.90 meters tall and weighs 190 pounds. The Chulavista, California-born can also play in the outfield as indicated by his profile on his technical sheet:
Mayer has a long, athletic build that begins to fill in with a lot more room to get stronger. Very smooth defensive player, he has silky fluid actions that never rush, fields cleanly in front and can throw quickly from multiple arm angles, fast and compact arm action, made from the defensive plays of the summer down the middle while playing on the second base to highlight your athleticism and creativity.
Left-handed hitter, hits from a slightly open, extended position, limited lower half shift on contact, loose explosive hands create lots of bat speed, aggressive hitter who attacks early in the count and seeks to pull the ball, the ball leaves the barrel tough, has projection as a hard hitter and extra adjustments.
He has a verbal commitment to Southern California. Named to Underclass All-American Games Top Prospects list.
Over the course of the summer exhibition circuit, a pair of high school shortstop were separated as the top two preparation position players in the country. The first is Jordan Lawlar, from Texas, and the second is Mayer, who hails from the same Eastlake high school that has produced first rounders, Adrián González, and more recently, Keoni Cavaco:
Mayer has acted like someone who belonged to the top of the draft this spring. He has average or superior tools across the board, starting with a positive feeling for hitting from the left side of the plate.
He has advanced focus and knowledge of the strike zone to go with elite bat-to-ball skills and pure hitting. Tall and slim, there’s plenty of raw power for him to grow up with, and some scouts see a Corey Seager-like offensive profile if all goes well.
While he’s not a burner, some scouts have above-average career grades, some have flimsy grades, no one doubts Mayer will be able to stay at shortstop for long.
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He has easy actions, plus hand and foot play and an arm that plays more. Everything is played because of your instincts and skills, in the style of Brandon Crawford. He’s committed to Southern Cal, but as a possible first-round pick, the odds of him ever setting foot on campus are slim.
Marcelo Mayer touches on his Mexican roots and what family meals and life are like in Mexico. Marcelo describes his travel ball team The SD Show and what he gained from quarantine. All of that is shown in the following video:
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