Mayer brings Fenway to Futures Game cleats -- dirt and all

SEATTLE -- Marcelo Mayer hasn’t yet played at Fenway Park, but he already views the iconic ballpark as part of his baseball identity.

MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 overall prospect donned custom cleats with Fenway Park’s Green Monster scoreboard across the outer exterior during Saturday’s SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game in Seattle. The most unique component, however, was that the Nike swoosh featured dirt from Boston’s historic stadium, which was made possible by Custom Stadium Kicks.

“They asked me what I wanted for cleats, and I wanted something a little flashy,” Mayer said. “Dude, I can’t believe they put Fenway dirt on the swoosh. ... They killed it. They reached out to me last week and it was a quick text. And then we ended up getting it done. It’s crazy how many cleats they get in that short of a period.”

But that was only his left shoe. Mayer grew up in Chula Vista, Calif., just outside San Diego, and his right cleat was a nod to his hometown with a bright teal look. The hope was to use sand from the beaches in Southern California within that shoe’s swoosh, but the turnaround time was too tight.

“I wanted to be a little flashy today and stand out with two different color cleats. It expresses who I am in a way, being from San Diego and hopefully playing at Fenway one day.”

Mayer certainly showed that he knows his target audience of Red Sox fans, but he also doesn’t forget where he comes from.

“I love the organization and what they’ve done and their development,” Mayer said. “It was awesome today. I don’t think I’ve ever played in front of this many people in my entire life. Just to share this moment with all these players, all these guys, it’s really cool.”

Mayer ripped a 100.3 mph single in his lone at-bat on Saturday, which represented the game’s first hit, then he stole second base. The American League lost to the National League, 5-0.