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Red Sox teenage prospect Roman Anthony is soaring up numerous baseball rankings
Baseball Prospectus now has Anthony tabbed as the No. 9 prospect in baseball, ahead of Marcelo Mayer.
The Red Sox’ prospect pool is the deepest it’s been in years.
While youngsters like Brayan Bello, Jarren Duran and Triston Casas are developing into key cogs at the MLB level, blue-chip talent like Marcelo Mayer, Ceddanne Rafaela and Nick Yorke are elevating their stock in both Portland and Worcester.
Prospects like Mayer have held court as the prized jewel of Boston’s farm system for the last few seasons.
But the Red Sox’ next wave of talent might need to make room for teenage outfielder Roman Anthony as well.
The 19-year-old Anthony, drafted by Boston in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, has been on a tear down in Single-A ball all season long.
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And for his efforts, Anthony has gone from a relatively unheralded high-school prospect to one of the fastest-rising talents in the minors.
At the start of the 2023 season, Anthony wasn’t tabbed on many national prospect rankings, including Baseball America.
But in June, Anthony made the cut, with Baseball America tabbing him No. 91 overall in its Top 100 rankings. Just a month later, Anthony soared up the same list during BA’s annual midseason ranking, placing No. 35 overall. Only Mayer (No. 8) earned a higher spot on the list.
“One of the top breakout prospects in Low-A this season, Anthony has taken flight since seeing a promotion to High-A Greenville,” Baseball America wrote. “His excellent bat-to-ball skills and discerning eye pair nicely with his developing plus power. Anthony has the ability to develop into a well-rounded offensive player who can handle center field defensively.”
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Baseball Prospectus holds Anthony in even higher esteem. During their midseason rankings update, Prospectus listed Anthony as the No. 9 prospect in all of baseball, even ahead of Mayer (No. 10).
Anthony’s recent surge is due in large part to his dominant stretch at the plate with the High-A Greenville Drive. As the youngest player in High-A ball, Anthony is slashing .338/.484/.770 with eight home runs, 19 RBI, and 21 walks in just 21 games.
It’s a sizable jump from his baseline numbers with the Low-A Salem Red Sox. In 42 games there earlier this season, Anthony batted .228 with just one home run and 18 RBI.
However, Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes noted that Anthony’s exit velocity and bat speed were producing encouraging underlying metrics with Salem, even if it wasn’t resulting in tangible production in the box score.
Clearly, that pop and bat speed has translated at his latest stop in Boston’s farm system.
Currently a center fielder, Anthony projects as a corner outfielder in the MLB ranks, especially as he continues to fill out his 6-foot-3 frame.
He may still be a ways away from Fenway Park, but Anthony’s heater at the plate is clearly catching the eye of multiple talent evaluators across baseball. A promotion to Double-A Portland could be in the cards later this summer if he continues to tee off against Single-A pitchers.
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