Detroit Tigers MLB Draft Profile: SS Marcelo Mayer

We are a few days into MLB Draft Month here at Motor City Bengals, and we continue our profiles of potential Detroit Tigers draft picks with Marcelo Mayer, a shortstop/outfielder from Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, California. Be sure to check out our Mock Draft, and keep an eye out for more draft player profiles in the coming days.

Marcelo Mayer Background

Marcelo Mayer plays at Eastland High School in Chula Vista, California. The Titans have quite a background in putting players in elite college-level programs and two of their more famous alumni, Edgar Gonzalez and his brother and number one overall pick in 2000, Adrian Gonzalez, both played in the majors.

Currently, he is following an impressive linage of shortstops that include USC junior shortstop Ben Ramirez, who could land anywhere in this year’s draft, and 2019 draft pick, Keoni Cavaco, who was picked by the Minnesota Twins.  Mayer is a USC commit but from the rumors swirling around this young man, he will more than likely be gone within the first five picks.

Marcelo Mayer Scouting Report

Marcelo Mayer is  6-foot-3, 185 pounds. He bats from the left side and is already scouted with a 60 hit tool with the frame that he will grow and gain more power in his bat.

Mayer has a fluid, smooth stroke at the plate which rates him at elite bat-to-ball skills, and has good range at shortstop.

Here is what MLB Pipeline has to say about the rest of his tools:

While not a burner — some scouts have a tick above-average run grades, some have fringy ones — no one doubts Mayer will be able to stay at shortstop for a long time. He has easy actions, plus hands and footwork and an arm that plays plus. All of it plays up because of his instincts and aptitude, in a Brandon Crawford kind of way.

Here is what Kevin Goldstein of FanGraphs says:

While he makes every play and at times can be a flashy defender with plus hands, smooth transfers, a well-above-average arm, and excellent instincts, he’s also a big-framed kid with below-average run times coming out of a slightly awkward gait. For scouts concerned about this, Mayer becomes a future third baseman; for those who believe in all of the defensive tools beyond the twitch, he’s more comparable to Carlos Correa or Corey Seager.

Marcelo Mayer Stats

Will the Detroit Tigers draft Marcelo Mayer?

According to Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, ($) the Pittsburgh Pirates are debating between Mayer and Jordan Lawlar, who Chris just wrote up yesterday with the Rangers going with Henry Davis, the catcher out of Louisville.

The rumors are suggesting the Tigers are big fans of Mayer. So, it really depends on what happens at the first and second pick but if he’s there at three, the Tigers should take him with the type of upside he has.