WORCESTER -- Marcelo Mayer speaks the way he fields: cool, calm, and collected with unwavering confidence.
The Boston Red Sox' top infield prospect has been playing second base at Triple-A Worcester in preparation for a potential call-up to the majors. Predominantly a shortstop, he looked smooth taking grounders at second before Game 1 of Friday's doubleheader against the Durham Bulls at Polar Park.
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SIGN UP HERE After his pregame workout, Mayer spoke on his comfort level at second base compared to his natural position.
"I feel good. I feel solid," Mayer told NBC Sports Boston. "Obviously, I've played shortstop my whole life, with a little bit of third and second base. But as far as comfortability, I feel really good over there."
That's great news for the big-league club, because it may need Mayer to take over at second soon. Fellow top prospect Kristian Campbell, Boston's primary second baseman, has gotten work at first base since Triston Casas' season-ending injury.
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Whether it's Campbell, Mayer, or any other promising young player, moving them around the diamond while they're still developing can be risky. Even veterans, like Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers, are often reluctant to disrupt their routine by switching positions.
Mayer, though? He doesn't seem fazed in the slightest.
"I think it just depends on the person," he said. "I think there's a lot of people that are capable of doing it. There's a lot of athletic players in the league that are able to play a lot of positions at a high level. So I'm not really sure if that affects you. I think they do a really good job of making sure that you get work in your positions to stay ready, whenever that is."
The numbers suggest Mayer is ready. The 22-year-old entered Friday's doubleheader slashing .265/.344/.452 with eight homers and a minor-league-leading 41 RBI. He crushed a two-run shot in his second at-bat of the day.
With Campbell potentially moving to first, shortstop Trevor Story struggling mightily, and Alex Bregman exiting Friday's game vs. Baltimore with an injury, Mayer's promotion to The Show seems imminent. While thoughts of his Fenway Park debut might be hard to ignore, Mayer says he has no problem staying focused on his current task.
"I don't really see it as a balance," Mayer said. "To me, it's just making sure that I get my work done here while I'm down here and making sure that I get as good as possible so that my transition to the big leagues is that much easier, and just making sure that I stay on top of my stuff. Staying ready."
Calling up Mayer could give Boston a much-needed jolt amid its mediocre 26-26 season. That said, countless elite prospects have had rude awakenings upon reaching the majors. Jackson Holliday, for example, hit just .189 with a .565 OPS in 60 games as a highly-touted rookie last year with the Orioles.
Fairly or not, Mayer and No. 1 ranked prospect Roman Anthony will be counted on to help revitalize a franchise that has clinched just one postseason berth since its 2018 World Series title. Asked whether he feels any pressure from those lofty expectations, the laid-back Southern Californian gave an on-brand answer.
"Not really. That's not really the way that we see it," he said. "I'm just focused on, like I said, right now getting better every single day and making sure that when my time is called that I'm ready to go. That I can do whatever I can to help the team win, and hopefully that's enough."
Mayer has the clearer path to big-league playing time, but Anthony shouldn't be far behind. The 21-year-old continues to rake for Worcester, hitting .316/.449/.510 with six homers and 18 RBI through 43 games.
An outfield logjam in Boston has kept Anthony in the minors, but he should be hitting balls over the Green Monster alongside Mayer at some point this season -- and for many years to come.
"He's the man. To have him on our team is a blessing, to have him in this org," Mayer said of Anthony. "The way that he carries himself, the way that he plays within the lines, it's truly incredible. Just to have him be that close to me and part of this org, it's special."
Anthony went 2-for-3 with a walk and scored the game-tying run on a Jhostynxon Garcia single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Mayer scored on Vaughn Grissom's walk-off single as Worcester beat Durham, 5-4.
Watch the full exclusive interview with Marcelo Mayer below, also featuring the best postgame spreads he has gotten from big-leaguers during their rehab stints: