Keith Law: Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony could be ‘best player in the league’
"He’s got a chance to be a 30-homer, high-average, high-OBP guy in right field."
The sky’s the limit for Red Sox top prospect Roman Anthony.
He won’t turn 21 years old until May, but the gifted outfielder is already considered one of the most promising players in the minor leagues.
Baseball America currently has Anthony tabbed as the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball, with the Woo Sox slugger only bumped off the No. 1 spot because of the arrival of Japanese phenom pitcher Roki Sasaki — who should make the jump to the big leagues right away.
MLB Pipeline also has Anthony as the No. 2 prospect in baseball behind Sasaki, but longtime baseball scribe Keith Law still has Anthony atop his list of the Top 100 MLB prospects — offering up some high praise for the outfielder in The Athletic.
“He’s got a chance to be a 30-homer, high-average, high-OBP guy in right field, maybe with plus defense there, which is a ‘best player in the league’ profile,” Law wrote.
Anthony first landed on Law’s radar during a promising 2023 season, with Law tabbed him as one of the “biggest breakout prospect in all of the minors” after advancing all the way to Double-A Portland at just 19 years old.
Anthony continued to take major steps forward this past summer, slashing .291/.396/.498 with 18 home runs, 65 RBI, and 21 stolen bases over 119 total games between Double-A Portland and Worcester last season.
He didn’t slow down after earning that late call-up to the top level of the minor leagues, slashing .344/.463/.519 over 35 games in Triple-A.
While Anthony’s baseline stats are impressive, Law believes that his refined and disciplined approach at the plate is what separates him from other top prospects — especially given his age.
“His average exit velocity for Triple-A Worcester was 88 mph, although he did start to hit the ball on the ground more (52 percent) in that brief stint, not a major concern but something to watch as he gets so close to a promotion to the majors,” Law added. “He’s very disciplined for his age, chasing just 20 percent of the time in Triple-A, with a whiff rate under 9 percent, picking up spin very well even at a level when he was facing guys who’d pitched in the majors.”
While the Red Sox might prescribe a bit more seasoning for Anthony in Worcester to start the 2025 season, the poised outfielder could earn his first at-bats at Fenway Park at some point this summer.
“Of course,” Anthony said of trying to break camp with the big-league roster earlier this month. “Going into spring training with that mentality, trying to win a job. There’s really no other goal for me. So yeah, I feel ready. I’m doing everything I can, and trusting the front office – trusting they’ll make the right decision.”
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