Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
Why Red Sox’s top prospect is embracing ‘overrated’ comments from hecklers
"I enjoy hearing what people have to say because I think it’s amusing."
Roman Anthony made one heckler eat his words last week.
The Red Sox’s top prospect (and MLB.com’s No. 2 prospect) impressed during MLB’s Spring Breakout showcase last week in Port Charlotte, Florida.
As one fan in the stands chanted “overrated!”, Anthony drilled a pitch 434 feet that cleared the stadium’s concourse and bounced off the roof of another building in Boston’s eventual 7-5 loss to the Rays.
It was a highlight-reel moment for Anthony, who could be golfing pitches into the bullpen at Fenway Park as early as this spring. And even though Anthony doesn’t turn 21 years old until May, he’s already used to jeers from the crowd.
Advertisement:
Anthony has established himself as one of baseball’s can’t-miss prospects for some time. The Athletic’s Keith Law tabbing him as the “biggest breakout prospect” in baseball back in September 2023 — well before Anthony firmly established himself as a top-five prospect in the game.
Despite the high expectations already placed upon his shoulders, Anthony admitted to WEEI’s Rob Bradford that he enjoys hearing taunts from the crowd, especially given his knack for proving the wrong.
“That’s just not a perfect example of — like, there weren’t really a ton of people there, and it’s just a group of guys who were just bored, I guess, and were there all nine innings. And they let us hear it all nine innings,” Anthony told Bradford on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast. “But that’s part of it, and honestly, it’s fun.
Advertisement:
“If you go to that breakout game and there’s maybe a few thousand people there and it’s not really hectic, you kind of feed off that. I like going to play on the road in the spring. I enjoy hearing what people have to say because I think it’s amusing. I think it’s funny.
“When you do something good, it’s funny to see people’s reactions. It’s been fun. That would be the only biggest difference is going to places and now people know that you’re not 20 or 30 anymore, you’re the top one, I think you hear it a little bit more. But it’s fun. I love it.”
Anthony’s ability to deliver at the plate amid taunts should serve him well in the coming years, especially if stepping up to the plate in venues like Yankee Stadium.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com