After a breaking 2023 campaign put him firmly on the prospect map, Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony took his game to even greater heights in 2024.
The 20-year-old smashed 15 homers with an .856 OPS in 84 games with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs before posting an incredible .344/.463/.519 in a 35-game stint with the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox. The performance earned him the number-one spot on Baseball Prospectus’ preseason top 101 prospect list while placing him just behind new Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Roki Sasaki on MLB.com’s list.
Though Anthony dominated in his Triple-A debut last season, the common consensus was that the Red Sox would start him back in Worcester in 2025, given he has played just 35 games at the level. However, it appears that the door may have swung open for Anthony to make the Opening Day roster with starting right fielder Wilyer Abreu still yet to begin baseball activities due to a GI virus.
If Abreu isn’t able to rebuild his strength in time for the beginning of the season, Anthony could be the next man up, a move that MassLive writer Sean McAdam believes could benefit the emerging star in the long term.
“Given the uncertainty surrounding Abreu, there would now seem a path for a second member of the team’s elite trio to break camp with the team,” wrote McAdam. “The early-season audition might serve Anthony’s development well. If he succeeds, he returns to Worcester with the knowledge that he’s ready to compete at the big league level; if he struggles, he’ll know what he needs to improve upon at Triple-A.”
With a roster loaded with intriguing young position players, the Red Sox have a lot of difficult decisions to make this spring, which will result in some major-league calibers being sent down to Worcester. Yet there might be no player on the minor or major league roster with Anthony’s upside, and a hot spring coupled with Abreu’s slow build-up could have him breaking camp with the big-league club.
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