The Boston Red Sox made a notable Roman Anthony decision ahead of their home opener Friday, giving the struggling former top prospect another shot in a key spot.The Red Sox play their home opener on Friday, taking on the San Diego Padres in a matchup of two teams that came into the season with high expectations but have struggled out of the gate. The Red Sox suffered through a disastrous six-game road trip, winning on Opening Day against the Reds in Cincinnati, then losing their next five straight.
The Padres have been only slightly better, winning two of their first six games.
On Friday morning, the Red Sox announced their starting lineup for the game, the 115th home opener at Fenway Park, the oldest ballpark in MLB, and the 126th in franchise history.
The Red Sox have placed especially high expectations on the former No. 1 prospect in baseball, 21-year-old Roman Anthony, who barely surpassed his rookie limit last season, but nonetheless will be playing in only his 78th major league game on Friday. Anthony has just five hits in 25 plate appearances to start the season, but Boston is betting his underlying metrics â including elite exit velocity â signal a breakout is coming.
But Anthony has slumped to start his first full season in Boston, scraping out just five hits and three walks in 25 plate appearances. Manager Alex Cora decided to pull Anthony from the lineup in the finale of the Red Soxâ three-game series in Houston against the Astros â though Anthony was inserted as a pinch hitter to lead off the top of the ninth inning, and promptly ripped his first home run of the season.
The Red Sox announced Friday that Anthony will return to the starting lineup for the home opener, and will bat in the leadoff spot as he has in his previous five starts this season. The lefty-swinging Anthony will be facing Padres pitcher Michael King.
Red Sox Announce Starting Lineup For Home Opener
The Red Sox will counter with offseason trade acquisition RHP Sonny Gray. The 36-year-old, 14-year veteran right-hander, hoped for better in his first outing, coming March 28 against the Reds, when he lasted just four innings while giving up four runs on six hits and a walk, though he did strike out five.
The Red Sox offense has also been far from optimal through the first six games. Here is the official Boston batting order for the home opener, as announced by the Red Sox early Friday.
1. Roman Anthony â L, DH â AVG .227 / OBP .320 / OPS .684
2. Trevor Story â R, SS â AVG .138 / OBP .138 / OPS .414
3. Jarren Duran â L, LF â AVG .167 / OBP .348 / OPS .515
4. Willson Contreras â R, 1B â AVG .150 / OBP .346 / OPS .496
5. Wilyer Abreu â L, RF â AVG .417 / OBP .417 / OPS 1.134
6. Caleb Durbin â R, 3B â AVG .000 / OBP .053 / OPS .053
7. Marcelo Mayer â L, 2B â AVG .200 / OBP .294 / OPS .627
8. Carlos Narváez â R, C â AVG .444 / OBP .444 / OPS .888
9. Ceddanne Rafaela â R, CF â AVG .211 / OBP .250 / OPS .618
Anthony Still Crushing the Ball, When He Hits It
With the exception of right fielder Wilyer Abreu, who opened the season with three home runs in his first six games to go with three doubles and an eye-popping 1.134 OPS, pretty much every Red Sox hitter has opened the season in a slump â including Anthony, who perhaps more than anything needs to cut down on his strikeouts.
The young phenom has fanned 11 times in his 25 plate appearances. But Anthony has continued to hit the ball when he does hit it, with an elite average exit velocity of 99.1 mph according to Statcast. His hard-hit rate of 72.7% also places him among MLBâs best in the early going.
The Red Sox are expecting that those underlying metrics are a strong indication that Anthony will break out of his slump quickly, even in the home opener Friday.
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