Paul Toboni knew what he had just set his eyes upon. There was something different about Roman Anthony, even as a youngster coming out of high school in South Florida. There was assurance at 17 years old. Conviction not just in his game, but in who he was.
“I think first and foremost [what stood out about Roman] was just the person he was,” said Toboni, the Red Sox assistant GM, who was the team’s amateur scouting director when Anthony was drafted in the second round in 2022. “He’s just so steady and works hard. It’s just the type of person he is.”
Not even three years after being drafted, he was in the big leagues at 21, not just surviving, but belonging. On Thursday, he signed an eight-year, $130 million extension that can keep him in Boston through at least the 2034 season. That’s not just belief. That’s a franchise cornerstone.
There’s weight to being the No. 1 prospect in baseball like Anthony. There’s weight to living up to those expectations in a market such as Boston’s. The Red Sox also signed Kristian Campbell to a deal in his rookie year. Campbell though, even with a guaranteed $60 million in his pocket, was demoted to Triple A Worcester for a bit more seasoning. He was still too green. Overpowered by the speed of the game. Perhaps the noise in the background, too.
But Anthony? He seems built for this. From the moment his feet touched soil at Fenway back in June, the outfielder has never budged.
“I think [that personality] comes from realizing when you get here, it’s the same game, and you know, you’re here for a reason,” Anthony said. “No matter who you’re facing, or the type of player, the type of team you’re facing, you guys are all big leaguers.”
With the Red Sox strengthening their grip on a playoff spot, Anthony has emerged as one of their best players. He’s slashing .283/.400/.428 with an .828 OPS since making his MLB debut on June 6. The power hasn’t fully shown — just two homers in 190 plate appearances — but the 15 doubles suggest it’s coming. As he adjusts to big-league pitching and grows into his 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame, you can see it. More weight. More power. More slug. All signs point to the future face of a historic organization.
“It’s very difficult what he’s doing,” teammate Alex Bregman said. “Just the on-base ability, the swing decisions in pressure pack games, the ability to hit the ball with power from line to line. He’s a really good base-runner and has played really good defense as well. But just the quality of the at-bat against the best of the best has been what the real difference maker has been.”
You can’t speed Anthony up in the box. Just look at the 26 walks in 46 games and a 132 OPS+, well above league average. Most left-handed hitters need time to adjust to facing lefties. Even Rafael Devers — one of the best hitters on the planet — was eased into that role by Alex Cora early on. But Anthony has always handled them. He stood in against the best, including a recent double off the Green Monster against Astros lefty Framber Valdez. That’s why it was never even a thought for Cora to handle him the way he once did with Devers. Most rookies need time before they’re thrown into the spotlight. Batting them near the bottom of the order usually feels like the safe move. But Anthony’s a different cat. So Cora has him hitting at or near the top of the lineup in ffront of a packed Fenway crowd that can feel a playoff berth singing its way up Jersey Street.
“The way he is, he dominates the strike zone,” Cora said. “I’m not saying its easy but that’s the way it should be, right? Like, when you do that, good things are going to happen. You know, he has a great swing. He has a pretty good idea of what he wants to accomplish in every at bat.”
Anthony doesn’t try to impress. Every hello seems genuine. Purposeful. Just like his at-bats. He’s not trying to fit in, either. He just does, even with his locker nestled between All-Stars like Bregman and Jarren Duran, Anthony leaves enough elbow room for himself without taking up space.
Who knows if regression is coming. Sometimes it hits young players when you least expect it. The league adjusts, and with larger sample sizes come new ways to attack. When that happens, Anthony will depend on his teammates — the ones who’ve already been through the gauntlet.
“I’m just leaning on those guys in order to help myself when the game starts at seven o’clock,” he added.
Regression hit Campbell after a torrid start. Teams pounded him inside with fastballs, and he started to look his age. It hit Duran in 2021, too. He rode the elevator between Triple-A and the majors until 2023, when it finally clicked. Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday felt it from the jump last season — and he was the No. 1 prospect in baseball, just like Anthony.
But some regressions aren’t as steep. Anthony’s might just be a blip.
“Shoot, I pinch hit for him the first game,” Cora said. “I probably won’t pinch hit for him again.”
There’s just something different about Roman Anthony.
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