A glance at MLB Pipeline’s recently released preseason Top 100 list projects a bright future for the Red Sox. Three of Boston’s prospects are in the Top 40. Only five teams have more than the four prospects the Red Sox have in the Top 100. In addition, the 249 prospect points that MLB Pipeline tallied for Boston is seventh best in the Majors.

Here is a closer look at the three Red Sox prospects who are generating so much excitement.

SS Marcelo Mayer
2024 preseason ranking: 15
Ranking at end of ’23 season: 11

The skinny: Mayer dropped four spots mainly due to durability issues the last two seasons. However, the Red Sox feel just as good about his future as they did when they took him with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 Draft. The left shoulder impingement that held Mayer to 78 games and 314 at-bats last season appears to be a thing of the past after the 21-year-old had a productive offseason. And if you’re worried about the way Mayer’s offensive numbers dipped after his promotion to Double-A Portland, that seemed to be more a product of already playing hurt prior to that with High-A Greenville.

A quote: “I think a lot of that's on me not really knowing my body and not knowing how to handle a full season or communicate with my trainers in a way,” Mayer said. “I'm looking forward now. It's in the past. My shoulder's in a great spot.”

When will he debut? There’s a chance Mayer could make it to Fenway Park by late season if he can stay healthy. Look for Mayer to be promoted to Triple-A Worcester by May or June. It’s hard to imagine Mayer will debut for the Red Sox any later than 2025.

CF Roman Anthony
2024 preseason ranking: 24
Ranking at end of ’23 season: 35

The skinny: The gifted 19-year-old has roared through the Red Sox’s farm system in the last year. Consider that he wasn’t even in MLB’s preseason Top 100 a year ago. The left-handed hitter has handled every challenge thrown his way, including a 10-game cameo at Double-A at the end of last season which saw him slash .343/.477/.543 with four doubles and one homer in 35 at-bats. Anthony can hit for average and power while also playing solid defense and showing good instincts on the bases. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow hasn’t been shy in mentioning that Anthony, Mayer and catcher Kyle Teel could be cornerstones in Boston.

A quote: “It’s an honor to be counted on and it's an honor to be mentioned. I think that you always got to take that as a positive, obviously,” Anthony said. “But none of us have gotten there yet. We've got a lot of work to do and a long ways to go before we're there.”

When will he debut? Given the lack of projectable power in Boston's outfield, it’s possible Anthony will join the Red Sox as early as the 2024 stretch run. Given that he went right from high school to pro ball when the Sox took him in the ’22 Draft, it is more likely Anthony will get his first callup in ’25.

C Kyle Teel
2024 preseason ranking: 40
Ranking at end of ’23 season: 82

The skinny: The top-rated catcher in the 2023 Draft benefited from the high-level environment he played in at the University of Virginia. The Red Sox were impressed enough to vault Teel up to Double-A less than two months after they took him with the 14th pick in the Draft. Imagine the strides Teel could make in Spring Training when he gets the chance to work with Red Sox coach and former captain Jason Varitek? While Varitek will work with Teel on his defense, the left-handed hitter has offensive ability that’s hard to find with catchers. Teel goes to all fields, and scouts think he will hit his share of doubles and homers.

A quote: “I would say Virginia definitely prepared me in regards to all aspects of catching and offensively,” Teel said. “And also pitch calling to scouting reports. These are all things I've done in the past at Virginia and that experience, I think, is the reason why it is going the way it is for me.”

When will he debut? In 2016, Andrew Benintendi was promoted to the Majors just 13 months after the Red Sox made him the No. 7 pick in the 2015 Draft. Could Teel have a similarly accelerated timeline? There’s definitely a chance. Teel isn’t a finished product in terms of development, but he might not have that far to go. He should be catching at Triple-A Worcester by midseason at the latest.

Another prospect to keep an eye on is Nick Yorke. The second baseman the Sox took way ahead of projections at No. 17 overall in the 2020 Draft is the most intriguing player from the list of 13 non-roster invites to Spring Training the club announced on Friday.

Yorke had a standout first pro season in 2021 but struggled while playing a full season for High-A Greenville in ’22. Last season at Double-A Portland, his performance was somewhere in between. In ’24, the Sox should get a better idea of what to expect from Yorke, and spending extended time in Major League camp can only help.

“Last year, I took a step in the right direction,” Yorke said. “Human nature, I always want to do better than what I showed. I just really want to get out there in ’24 and show what I can do.”

A shortstop in high school, Yorke now feels like a full-fledged second baseman.

“I would say I’m very comfortable over at second base now,” said Yorke. “[2021] was the first season I’ve ever played second in my life, and to progress every year since then, I think it just shows the work I’ve done by the infield coordinators and coaches … putting the work in with me.”

While there has been speculation the Red Sox will add a right-handed bat before Spring Training, it hasn’t happened yet, increasing the chances for Ceddanne Rafaela to make the Opening Day roster.

“I feel awesome,” said Rafaela, ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 76 prospect in preseason rankings. “I got a taste last year to learn about how to go about business the right way. I don’t really have it in my mind to make the team or not. I’m just going to Spring Training to be the player I am and work hard every day. They know I’m ready and when I’m not, and when they say I’m ready, I’m ready.”

Rafaela is a stud on defense, particularly in center field. Offensively, he is able to generate power from his wiry frame, but his ongoing quest is to improve his plate discipline.

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