Nick Yorke of the Portland Sea Dogs turns a double play against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Thursday at Hadlock Field in Portland. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

As Trevor Story prepared to begin a rehab assignment Friday at Hadlock Field, Portland Sea Dogs second baseman Nick Yorke studied the Boston Red Sox shortstop. Every time a major leaguer passes through Portland, Yorke sees it as an opportunity to learn.

“All these guys are so process oriented. I was watching Trevor Story hit today, and he was working on something in his swing. He did not pick his head up from the tee a single time,” said Yorke, Boston’s first-round draft pick in 2020. “He wasn’t watching where the ball was going. He wasn’t looking at what the result was. He was like, I could care less what that is right now. I’m just trying to feel the certain move.”

Using physical talent to apply the things a player learns on a daily basis is a key to development. The ability to do that is what can separate a top prospect from a marginal one, and it’s one of the things that makes Sea Dogs players like Yorke, shortstop Marcelo Mayer and relief pitcher Luis Guerrero three of the top prospects in the Red Sox minor league system.

Earlier this month as part of MLB’s All-Star Game festivities in Seattle, the trio represented the Sea Dogs at the Futures Game, an all-star game featuring the top prospects in minor league baseball. Yorke played the entire game at second base for the American League squad, going 1 for 3 with a double. Mayer started at shortstop and hit a single in his only at-bat, while Guerrero struck out the one batter he faced.

The game was played at T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners.

Portland Sea Dogs second baseman Nick Yorke fields a ground ball during the MLB All-Star Futures Game on July 8 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. Caean Couto/Associated Press

“Playing in front of that many people, it can make you nervous on the field. I look at the shortstop, and I’m like, that’s my boy (Mayer) I’ve been playing with in Portland the whole time. It kind of put me back into a spot, you know, it’s just ball,” said Yorke, 21.

Guerrero compared the exuberant crowd to the fans he’s played for in his native Dominican Republic.

“The baseball is very crazy. I like more energy. I said, ‘Whoa, there’s a lot of people here, but it feels great. Let’s go!’ ” said Guerrero, 22.

The fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft, the 20-year old Mayer is one of the youngest players in Double-A. Ranked the top prospect in Boston’s system by MLB.com and the third-best prospect in baseball, Mayer has heated up in July after a slow start following his promotion from High-A Greenville on Memorial Day weekend. Mayer is hitting .268 in July, upping his batting average in Portland to .206, with six home runs and 20 RBI in 35 games.

Portland Sea Dogs shortstop Marcelo Mayer leads off first in a game against New Hampshire on Thursday. Mayer struggled after being called up from High-A Greenville, but is batting .268 in July. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

On Friday night, Mayer hit an RBI triple. The biggest adjustment from High-A ball to Double-A is plate discipline, he said.

“The pitchers have better command here, so they’re putting it where they want to. You’ve just got to be really disciplined at the plate and not swing and swing at your ball. I’m looking for a good pitch to hit. I’m hitting it hard. I can’t control what happens after that. They’ve been finding holes lately,” Mayer said.

Injuries limited Yorke, Boston’s third-ranked prospect and 84th overall by MLB.com, to just 80 games last season in Greenville. This season, he’s remained healthy and has played in 74 games, with a .269 average, nine home runs, 50 runs scored and 40 RBI. Now, in midseason, is when players begin to feel the fatigue that comes with the daily grind. The mental approach to the game is as important as the physical, Yorke said. Especially for the Sea Dogs, who at 13-5 have a four-game lead over Hartford for first place in the Eastern League’s Northeast Division second-half standings.

“At this time of year, you stay consistent or fall off. I just want to encourage myself and our guys just to push through. Everyone’s at Game 80, whatever we’re at. If you can have that mental edge over the opponent, it can help. You know physically, muscle memory wise, we’ve done this for 80 straight days, not including spring training, where we did it for another month. Mentally, be checked in as much as you can,” Yorke said.

Marcelo Mayer has played primarily at shortstop for the Sea Dogs, but with Boston’s Trevor Story on a rehab assignment this weekend, Mayer is spending time at third base. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

Yorke and Mayer have developed defensive chemistry up the middle, and it shows up in moments like a double play they turned Thursday afternoon against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. After fielding the ball, Mayer threw a dart to second base before Yorke arrived at the bag, knowing his teammate would get there to make the play.

“They’re comfortable up the middle with each other. Whatever verbiage, whatever body language they’re using. It’s always a good feeling, not only as a team but as an individual playing a position, you know exactly what that guy’s thinking,” said Portland Manager Chad Epperson.

Mayer and Yorke bonded over their shared California roots, Mayer said.

“I played against him growing up a little bit. He’s a great teammate. I got called up to Greenville last year when he was there, so we got to play together a little bit,” Mayer said.

Ranked as Boston’s 25th-best prospect by Soxprospects.com, Guerrero has settled in as the Sea Dogs closer, with 14 saves , a 3-1 record and a 1.32 ERA. With a fastball that’s consistently in the high 90s and occasionally hits 100 miles per hour, Guerrero has 35 strikeouts in 34 innings.

“He’s a strike thrower. When you get that kind of fastball, and you’re able to harness it in the strike zone, that’s a big time weapon for anybody,” Epperson said. “He’s not afraid of contact. He wants the ball in the strike zone. He wants them to put it in play. That’s where he lives. He’s got the splitty (split-finger fastball) and slider to boot. You have a fastball playing nearly 100, then you throw that splitty, that’s a tough (at-bat).”

Since the start of June, Guerrero has allowed just two earned runs. His fastball and splitter are his best pitches. And while Yorke learned from watching Story, Guerrero was paying attention to two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber, who threw two scoreless innings for Portland in his Friday night rehab appearance. Whatever it takes to prepare for the next level, he said.

“I need a little more work on my slider right now,” Guerrero said. “I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but I can keep working. With a lot of work, I’ll be ready.”