The results for NBC Sports Boston's annual 20 Under 25 rankings are in, and the Boston Red Sox are well represented.
Two Red Sox youngsters earned top-10 spots while two others snuck into the top 20 despite little to no MLB experience. As bleak as the year has been for Boston, the revitalized farm system appears to have given fans something to look forward to.
Here's our recap of the Red Sox' 20 under 25 results. You can check out the full rankings here.
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The Marcelo Mayer hype is real
The Red Sox drafted shortstop Marcelo Mayer with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. Most experts considered Mayer to be the top player in his draft class, so his sliding to No. 4 was a pleasant surprise for Sox fans who are clearly enthused about his talents.
Last year in his 20 Under 25 debut, Mayer placed sixth with an 83.2 rating. He earned a 76.6 rating in this year's 20 Under 25 voting (player ratings were down across the board), but still finished in seventh place. New England Patriots rookie defensive back Marcus Jones skyrocketed ahead of him to steal the No. 6 spot.
Regardless, the 20-year-old Mayer already is among the most exciting young players in the city. He certainly has looked the part so far in his professional career. Last season between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville, he hit .280 with 13 homers, 53 RBI and a .887 OPS. With Xander Bogaerts leaving for the San Diego Padres, the Red Sox will hope Mayer lives up to the hype as their future franchise shortstop.
Boston Red Sox
Big year ahead for Triston Casas, Brayan Bello
Top prospects Triston Casas and Brayan Bello made their MLB debuts in 2022 and while there were some growing pains, they showed flashes of their star potential. Casas, who turns 23 in January, hit five homers and posted a .766 OPS in 27 games. Bello, 23, posted a 4.71 ERA in 13 games (11 starts) but started to find his groove toward the end of the campaign.
Casas moved up a spot from 11 in last year's 20 Under 25 rankings (79.9 rating) to 10th (74.7 rating). Bello rose from 27th (70.7) to 13th (72.7).
Both Casas and Bello are expected to have significant roles with the 2023 club. Casas should take over as the full-time first baseman and Bello will be counted on to be a key part of the starting rotation. Perhaps they'll impress and creep into the top five in next year's 20 Under 25.
A bright future for Boston?
You'd be hard-pressed to find fans optimistic about the Red Sox heading into the 2023 season. The Bogaerts departure and the uncertain future of Rafael Devers have cast a dark cloud over the organization. The front office hasn't done much to make anyone believe they'll bounce back from their last-place finish in the American League East.
The one bright spot is the revitalized farm system, which produced the aforementioned names and a handful of other honorable mentions in this year's 20 Under 25 list.
Ceddanne Rafaela wasn't even on our radar last year, but he broke out in a big way to earn 2022 Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year honors. The 22-year-old utility man is now a top-five prospect in the organization and No. 18 in our 20 Under 25 rankings with a 70.5 rating.
Bryan Mata, the team's top pitching prospect following the promotion of Bello, came in just outside the top 20 at 22 (69.1 rating). Twenty-year-old second baseman Nick Yorke slid from 15th place in 2021 (73.5 rating) to 24th this time around (68.2). Right-hander Josh Winckowski, 24, rounded out the Red Sox on the list at No. 27 (65.9).