Boston Red Sox shortstop prospect Marcelo Mayer went 1-for-3 with a triple, an RBI, and a run scored in Wednesday's 6-4 Grapefruit League win over the Tigers. The 22-year-old is having a good spring, now 11-for-31 (.355), but it wasn't just the bat that stood out on Wednesday. Boston's third-ranked prospect was manningsecond base for the Red Sox, not the supposed front-runners for the job, Kristian Campbell and David Hamilton (Vaughn Grissom was optioned on Wednesday). With just over a week left in camp and no decision on who the starting second baseman is yet, it throws some additional intrigue into the mix. The former first-round draft pick is a shortstop by trade, but his path to playing time is currently blocked by veteran Trevor Story. It is a situation to monitor closely by fantasy managers, as whoever wins the job will be fantasy-relevant, potentially in a big way. Whatever happens, expect to see Mayer in Boston sometime this season for his big league debut.

Houston Astros third base/outfield prospect Cam Smith continued his hot hitting on Wednesday, going 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in an 8-2 Grapefruit League loss to the Mets. The home run was his fourth of the spring and he's now collected 11 RBI. Just a couple of days ago, it was reported that Smith had a "good" chance at making the Opening Day roster, and he hasn't done anything since then to make that any less true, only reinforced it. If he were to make the roster, it would likely be to play right field, with incumbent right fielder Chas McCormick hitting just .143 (4-for-28) this spring, although he does own an impressive 11:4 BB:K and has stolen four bags. Smith was selected in the first round of the 2024 Draft, and with 32 minor league games under his belt (none higher than Double-A), it would be quitethe ascension if he were to make the roster, but the Florida State product appears to be forcing the team's hand. Going after pick 400 in current fantasy drafts, he could be a worthy late-round stash just in case and could be a steal if he managed to stick with the team for the entire season.

The New York Yankees optioned second base/third base prospect Jorbit Vivas to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday. The 24-year-old was having a nice spring, going 10-for-43 (.435) including a pair of doubles and a stolen base, but he'll have to bide his time in the minors for now. Previously part of the Dodgers organization, the Venezuelan played all of 2024 in the Yankees' farm system, with the bulk of the games (93) played at Triple-A. The batting average wasn't great at .225, but the left-handed hitter hit nine home runs, struck out at a less-than-average rate of 16.6 percent, walked at a high rate of 13.8 percent (.347 OBP), and stole 20 bases. If he can carry his spring momentum into the 2025 season, there's a good chance we'll see him in New York before long, and he's got the tools to be an intriguing waiver wire pickup in deeper leagues whenever that happens.

Milwaukee Brewers right-handed pitching prospect Craig Yoho was re-assigned to minor-league camp. Yoho has enjoyed an impressive spring training as he has logged seven 1/3 innings to the tune of a 1.23 ERA and a stellar 0.68 WHIP. Yoho has tallied 12 punchouts and only served up three free passes. The Indiana product received his first full look at the minor leagues last season after being drafted in the eighth round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He began his campaign with High-A and held a 0.44 ERA with a 0.69 WHIP across 20 1/3 frames. He then moved up to Double-A, where he tossed 23 innings with a 1.17 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. Yoho was able to conclude his campaign at the top level of the minors, where he logged 14 1/3 innings with a strong 1.26 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. He tallied 101 total punchouts across 57 1/3 innings. Given his impressive development, Yoho should contend for an early 2025 MLB debut.

New York Yankees first baseman/catcher Ben Rice continued his impressive spring training with his fifth Grapefruit League home run on Wednesday. He smashed an 0-1 cutter from Phillies starter Taijuan Walker over the left-center field wall and boosted his ISO to .326 and wOBA to .413 by going 1-for-3 with two walks out of the leadoff spot while playing designated hitter. The 26-year-old has made a strong case for starting the season in the majors despite hitting just .171 with seven homers and a .269 wOBA in 50 games with the Yankees last season. He will likely get most of his playing time at 1B or catcher but could also get some work at DH with Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) unavailable to start the season. He will definitely be worth a look in mixed leagues if he's getting regular at-bats for New York.