The Boston Red Sox needed to make a splash this offseason, and they finally did when they signed Alex Bregman to a three-year deal earlier this month. But Boston went 81-81 last year and the American League East continues to improve around them.
Red Sox fans could be forgiven for needing another reason to get excited about 2025, and lucky for them, they have three of the top 12 prospects in Major League Baseball. Roman Anthony tops that list at No. 2, only behind Roki Sasaki, and the young outfielder is a candidate to make the Red Sox' Opening Day roster.
Anthony breaking camp with the big league club would be the best-case scenario for all involved.
Roman Anthony is ready to be on the Red Sox' Opening Day roster
It's understandable to not want to rush your prized prospect to the Majors and Anthony has only played 35 career games in Triple-A. If the Red Sox choose to start the 20-year-old in Worcester, it would be a perfectly reasonable decision.
That doesn't mean it's necessary. Anthony's limited performance in Triple-A was stellar — he hit .344 with a .983 OPS last year. Between Double-A and Triple-A, he also stole 21 bases in 2024, showing he could give the Red Sox some versatility both in the outfield and on the base paths.
There's more to suggest he's ready to face MLB pitching. He ranks in the 90th percentile in both exit velocity and in-zone contact percentage, according to CBS Sports. Anthony also had a chase rate last year of just 22.3% (for context, the New York Yankees had the lowest chase rate in baseball last year at 24.6%).
Anthony has the plate discipline and raw power to hit immediately in the majors, and all indications are he can play any outfield position and hold his own.
Related Boston Red Sox NewsArticle continues below
Roman Anthony will give Boston outfield depth while getting plenty of at bats
Boston's problems in 2024 certainly didn't lie in the outfield, where Jarren Duran led the effort in center, slashing .285/.342/.492 with 21 home runs and league-highs in doubles (48) and triples (14). The Red Sox also have Wilyer Abreu, who won the Gold Glove in right field as a rookie last season and finished with a 114 wRC+. Ceddanne Rafaela may wind up in centerfield, allowing Duran to play left field, in which case the Red Sox' outfield may be full. And Anthony isn't going to come up to compete with Rob Resfsnyder for spare at bats as the fourth outfielder. In that case, Boston would be better off keeping the youngster in Worcester where he can play every day.
But this is baseball and a general rule is that if you have depth at a particular position, you're going to need it at some point. Abreu and Duran have already missed time in spring training due to injury or illness. And with Rafaela perfectly capable of playing second base, there could be an outfield spot open. Tyler O'Neill is now with the Baltimore Orioles and someone will have to replace his production (31 HR, 132 OPS+, 131 wRC+).
The Red Sox will be rewarded for showing faith in their prized prospect
It seems likely that Anthony is going to play in the Major Leagues at some point in 2025, and it could be as soon as Boston has an outfielder hit the Injured List. So, knowing the at bats will be there anyway, why not start Anthony's clock now and reap the benefits of MLB's Prospect Promotion Incentive?
By putting Anthony on the Opening Day roster, he would remain a PPI-eligible player. That means that if Anthony accrues a year of service time (breaks camp with the team, stays in the Majors) and factors into a major postseason award, the Red Sox would earn an extra draft pick. Per the latest collective bargaining agreement, Anthony would have to either win the 2025 American League Rookie of the Year award or finish top three in MVP voting before he hits arbitration. That's a high standard, but Anthony is also the best true prospect in baseball (not counting Sasaki). If not him, who?
