Pick No. 5 – Baltimore Orioles: Marcelo Mayer, Shortstop, Eastlake High School
Like fellow high school standout Jordan Lawlar, Marcelo Mayer has been project to be drafted anywhere from first to fifth. Again, like Lawlar, Mayer has very good tools with room to grow and develop. His hitting is advanced. His defense is polished. He is a bit slow but not slow enough to move him away from a career at shortstop. Mayer is a stud in the 2021 MLB Draft.
Marcelo Mayer's swing is beautiful 😍
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) January 8, 2021
Many scouts believe he's the best pure hitter in the draft.
Those types typically don't last very long.
He's headed to the Red Sox in Version 1.0 of our mock: https://t.co/WW30io8ozD pic.twitter.com/g3e6iPHFCc
The Baltimore Orioles are in need of another high-ceiling position player. By drafting a shortstop, the Orioles have begun to solidify the middle of the field for years to come with Adley Rutschman playing catcher at Double-A Bowie.
In 2020, the Orioles drafted Mississippi State University shortstop Jordan Westburg. Westburg has struggled at the plate once promoted to High-A ball. Over 51 plate appearances, Westburg has hit .209/.333/.302 leaving much to be desired. Further, the Orioles have begun experimenting with Westburg at third base as well as shortstop.
Over his first minor league season, Westburg has 12 starts at third compared to only 18 starts at shortstop. The Orioles are still in the market for a shortstop of the future and, if Mayer drops, they will have their guy.