Why Roman Anthony Could Become Future Red Sox Cornerstone

Before the start of the 2025 season, NESN.com is evaluating several noteworthy prospects in the Boston Red Sox organization, using insight and analysis from industry experts to gauge each player’s outlook for the upcoming campaign. Next up: Roman Anthony.

The Red Sox revamped their entire farm system over the last five years. They now have the top prospect in baseball.

Roman Anthony rose to national prominence late in 2024 when he took the top spot on both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects lists. (Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki took over No. 1 after signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers in January.)

Anthony, a standout high school athlete, impressed the Red Sox enough to draft him with the No. 79 overall pick in 2022. (That was a compensatory pick Boston received after starter Eduardo Rodriguez signed with the Detroit Tigers in free agency.)

Anthony helped Marcelo Mayer lead a new identity for elite Red Sox prospects and played to a level that validated growing national attention in recent years. Now, he sits on the cusp of his MLB debut in 2025, with a chance to boost Boston to contention.

Here’s how Anthony got here.

Background
Anthony developed in a powerhouse program at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. The school produced several big leaguers before him, but the future Red Sox prospect had the attention of his high school coach for years.

“I had him at 12 years old,” Todd Fitz-Gerald told NESN.com. “I always knew he was gonna be a guy who could hit the ball. He’s always had power. Really tall, lean kid at 12 years old. Could always swing the bat with easy power. Really good bat-to-ball skills. You could see that he really had it in him to be where he’s at now.”

Anthony’s raw talent and timely production strengthened his ballclub throughout his high school career and met the moment of his senior spring in 2022. That’s a time when Fitz-Gerald knew a special player would be on his way to the pros.

“His entire senior year was unbelievable,” Fitz-Gerald said. “It was one of the best performances by a kid that I’ve had in a long time. The entire season. It was big hit after big hit. Clutch moment after clutch moment. It was throwing a kid out at the plate on the money. Guys like Roman Anthony don’t come around very often for high school coaches. You could tell early on. The ball comes off the bat different. He was a different animal.”

All of those qualities — of the person and the player — traveled with Anthony in his growth in the Red Sox system. He struggled early before a tremendous 2023 season, in which he rose through three levels of the minor leagues with 14 home runs and an OPS just below .900. He won awards in the organization and followed it up with a strong 2024, where he ended the season in Triple-A Worcester.

Anthony’s numbers do the talking, but the Red Sox see far more in him than that — especially for a young man who’s just 20 years old.

“There’s a ton of maturity there,” Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham told NESN.com. “His willingness to make adjustments and challenge himself on both sides of the baseball has been really exciting to see. He’s had a lot of success. He’s made some significant improvements on the baseball field, but I don’t think he’s ever happy or comfortable with where he is. He wants to get better. He’s willing to challenge himself.”

Scouting Report
Anthony sometimes swings the bat in a way that makes eyes pop. He’s a professional at-bat, he gets on base, and he can hit the ball a long way when he squares it up, which is pretty often in the Red Sox system. The idea of Anthony sporting 30-home run potential isn’t out of the question for those who studied him in-depth.

“The great thing is he has all that power and doesn’t need to sacrifice his hit tool,” SoxProspects.com director of scouting Ian Cundall told NESN.com. “He’s got an elite approach and he’s going to make plenty of contact. The concern with him is he’s almost too passive at times because his eye is so good.”

“If you’ve watched Anthony or look at the surface-level stats, you can see that he’s a really well-rounded player,” Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes told NESN.com. “There’s a really nice blend of bat-to-ball skill, big raw power and double-plus power metrics. Really strong power decisions. His abilities fall in line with the philosophies of the Red Sox player development structure. … He’s a hit-first mentality that has a lot of natural left-handed power. That’s really exciting.”

Fitz-Gerald pointed to former Red Sox first baseman Eric Hosmer when describing Anthony’s offensive profile.

“He’s using the entire field, which makes him a complete player,” Fitz-Gerald said. “He can run. He’s a smart baseball player. He’s got a really good feel for balls off the bat. The arm is probably a little bit above average, but he makes up for that with his IQ for the game.”

Most-likely outcome: Starting corner outfielder.

Anthony mostly played center field in the minors so far, but the construction of Boston’s MLB roster and his defensive traits all but point to his long-term future being in left field.

That said, the Red Sox also trust the versatility he’s built up during his minor league progressions.

“He’s played a lot of center field for us,” Abraham said. “I think he does a really good job out there. I think one thing we try to do with all of our outfielders is put them in all three spots so they’re all natural, comfortable spots. Because of the amount of time he’s played in center field in the minor leagues, we’re giving him looks in the corner spots this spring.

“Left field at Fenway is unique because of the Monster, so we certainly want him to be exposed to that. In Worcester, he had some time in right field with a smaller wall. It’s hard to say what the normal spot is for him because we’ve moved him around. He’s an up-the-middle player with the ability to move around.”

Best-case scenario: “Multiple-time All-Star.”

Anthony has the makings to play in the big leagues for a long time. He’s athletic, has star power and can sustain success at the plate.

Boston is at its best with homegrown cores that spark championship runs. Anthony will be right in the middle of that for the Red Sox moving forward.

Fenway forecast
Anthony could debut in the majors this spring — perhaps in May or June — though injuries or extenuating circumstances, such as Wilyer Abreu’s progress back from an illness early in camp, could force an earlier promotion for Boston’s top prospect.

SoxProspects.com ranking: No. 1
Anthony certainly will stay in the top spot until he makes his Red Sox debut.