While it may seem long overdue, the day has finally come–The Boston Red Sox have called up Roman Anthony. In what has undoubtedly been an underwhelming season, Sox fans have grown restless with the #1 prospect in baseball sitting in Triple-A, despite his success over an extended period.
Anthony has been one of the best minor league baseball players for well over a year now, with historically impressive advanced statistics at the plate. As ready as Anthony presumably was, there were still questions about when and how Boston would find opportunities for him in the major leagues.
Aside from their 2025 struggles, the Red Sox have one of the best problems in sports. Boston has too many promising major league players, specifically outfielders. Despite trade speculations around the two, Wilyer Abreu and Jarren Duran are contributing corner outfielders for the Sox, both being left-handed batters similar to Anthony.
Between these two, the recently extended defensive stud, Ceddane Rafeala, handles center field. The Red Sox also have right-handed specialist Rob Refsynder on their bench, and expensive left-fielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida in Triple-A.
These commitments Boston has made to other outfielders won’t block Anthony in the grand scheme of things, but certainly make it difficult to find him playing time as of today. Despite Rafaela being the worst out of the three starting outfielders, his much-needed defense and right-handed bat could land him long-term job security in Boston, as well as his trade value being lower than Abreu’s or Duran’s. Amid Anthony’s promotion, the Red Sox have placed Abreu on the IL, giving Roman a chance to play immediately.
Boston will likely have to deal with one of their talented outfielders this offseason, or even as early as the trade deadline. With their disappointing starting pitching and worn-down bullpen, the Red Sox could look to add a starter or an MLB-ready pitching prospect.
Anthony undoubtedly has expectations to impact winning at the plate immediately, so it’s important to understand what he does and doesn’t do well.
Anthony slashed an impressive line of .288 AVG / .423 OBP / .491 SLG / .914 OPS in 58 Triple-A games in 2025. As remarkable as the averages are, his advanced metrics are historically elite. Anthony’s 19% walk rate combats his 21% strikeout rate more than well enough, and his 146 wRC+ (weighted runs created plus) was one of the highest in Triple-A through 2025 thus far. Finally, his 39% barrel rate is astonishingly high, almost double Shohei Ohtani’s and Aaron Judge’s rates in 2024. Anthony is an exceptional opposite-field hitter who will fare well in Fenway Park.
As impressive as Anthony has been, he isn’t perfect. His 46% ground ball rate is above average at the minor league level and is something he’ll have to work on at the next level. His pull rate is also down over 10% from 2024 to 2025. While he may hit the ground running, he still has slight flaws as a hitter.
This could very well be a memorable day in history for Red Sox fans, as Anthony has all the tools to be one of the best hitters in baseball. Despite this, it’s essential to understand a few key points. Prospects often struggle, even the #1 prospect in baseball. Anthony projects to be a complete hitter at the next level, but minor league pitching is as bad as it’s ever been–give Anthony time to adjust. Secondly, Anthony can’t and won’t fix all of Boston’s problems, but he can certainly provide a jolt to a struggling squad.
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