Marcelo Mayer hasn’t played any higher than Rookie League, and yet his cards are already selling for six figure sums. The 19 year old shortstop’s 2021 Bowman Draft 1/1 super-refractor card just sold at auction for the staggering sum of $132,000.
Taken 4th overall by the Boston Red Sox in the 2021 MLB draft, Mayer figures to play an important part of the club’s future. However the $132K paid at auction for a player who hasn’t played for anything higher than the Florida Complex Red Sox, is still a bold bet on his future potential.
The card in the auction was graded a PSA 9. However, owing to its signature and the fact that it’s the only card of its kind in existence, the sky’s the limit on its future value should Mayer reach his full potential as a player.
Billed as a 5 tool player, many scouts had him ranked as the top prospect in the 2021 draft class. Yet with Pittsburgh, Texas, and Detroit selecting ahead of them, some front offices feared Marcelo’s camp wanted to force their way to a larger market, meaning they’d be unable to sign the highly touted prospect.
As a Senior at East Lake High School, the California native hit .392 with 14HRs and 45RBIs. His exploits saw him named the Collegiate Baseball player of the year, and earned Mr. Baseball California State Player of the year in 2021. Mayer’s first “professional season”, which was heavily modified due to the pandemic, saw the prospect hit .275 with 3HRs and 17RBIs in 91 plate appearances.
A 6’3” left handed bat, Mayer is currently the Red Sox top rated prospect according to MLB.com. While it’s hard to project when exactly he’ll crack the major league roster owing to his age and the curve balls thrown to prospects by the pandemic, insiders estimate a 2024 debut as a likely timeline for the teenager.
The highly sought after card sold this weekend through Goldin Auctions.