February 19, 2026

The fourth-overall pick back in 2021, Mayer struggled at his first taste of big league action in 2025. He hit .228 with a 30.1% strikeout rate and a .674 OPS in 136 PA. His season ended in late July after Boston placed him on the injured list with a wrist injury, an injury that ultimately required surgery. Now he's back healthy for 2026 and is reportedly seeing action as second base in camp for Boston, though he could play third as well. He was a shortstop in the minors, but unless Trevor Story gets hurt, he probably won't see much time there in the majors this season. The biggest thing for Mayer in 2026 will be cutting down on strikeouts. He had high strikeout rates in his first couple years in the minors, but cut it below 20% in AA in 2024 and AAA in 2025. Secondary pitches confounded him at the plate, with a 47.9% whiff rate against breaking balls and a 40.8% whiff rate against offspeed stuff in 2025. He does have solid pop for a middle infielder, with a .173 ISO in limited action last season and a .200 ISO at Triple-A last season. Projection models are tepid on Mayer, with most having him around a .240-.250 AVG and 10 or so home runs and single-digit steals. That's not very exciting for fantasy, but he's only 23 years old and is practically free in drafts, so he might be worth a late round stab. In most standard leagues he probably isn't worth drafting, but he is a name to know in case he cuts the strikeouts and starts producing with the bat.--Elliott Baas