Roman Anthony was reported back at Red Sox camp on Saturday, after missing the previous six days battling the flu. Before his absence, he was on a tear in Spring Training. Over 13 at bats, he had a .303/.500/.385 slash line. Even though he is only 20 years, the Red Sox could use him in the bigs and he is making the case to crack the roster.
Roman Anthony has checked all the boxes
Anthony is the 2nd ranked prospect in baseball according to MLB.com and he’s put his talent on display throughout his minor league career. Last season, he split his time between AA and AAA and hit .291 with a .894 OPS. He flashed his 5 tool potential with 18 home runs, 21 stolen bases and just 3 errors manning primarily Center Field. He has nothing left to prove in the minors and now it’s about showing if he’s the best MLB option for the Sox.
The Center Field Competition
Anthony’s main competition is Ceddanne Rafaela, who started 87 games for the Red Sox in center last season and is their projected 2025 starter. In 152 games last season, Rafaela posted a 79 wRC+ and 0.9 fWAR. He had 15 home runs, with a slash line of .246/.274/390. Rafaela was a below average bat in the lineup and graded out as a slightly above average fielder. By no means was 2024 a good year for Rafaela, but it was his first full season in the MLB and he was just 23 years old.
Giving up on Rafaela would make no sense. Still, that doesn’t mean the Red Sox should hold on calling up Anthony if he is ready. Rafaela was more of a utility player last year as he mostly played CF and SS, but also put in time at 2B, 3B, and RF. The Red Sox can move him all around the field and he will still have a chance to see a lot of playing time.
Outside of Rafaela, the Sox have Jarren Duran in left, Wilyer Abreu in right, and Rob Refsnyder and Masataka Yoshida (DH) in backup roles for the outfield. The outfield may be crowded, but the bottom line is that Anthony is viewed as a generational talent and has the ability to jump one of these guys, whether that’s by moving them down the depth chart or having them traded away.
Is it too early to Call up Roman Anthony?
With any young prospect the big question is – Are we rushing him to the big leagues? There’s no age or experience level that guarantees that a guy is ready, it’s always case by case.
Last season, the Padres were in a similar spot with their own top prospect who was also 20 years old. That guy, Jackson Merrill, would go on to being a 5.3 fWAR player, a silver slugger, and finish 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting. Merrill was one of, if not the, best player for the Padres last season and had a huge role in getting them to the 2nd round of the playoffs.
The Red Sox should roll the dice and call Roman Anthony up to be an everyday starter. His transition to the MLB may not be as seamless as Merrill’s was, but he has shown he’s ready for the MLB and he needs to develop at the pro level. If the Red Sox are going to be a World Series contender in 2025, they need another emerging star. Roman Anthony is that guy.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Roman Anthony is Ready for the Jump to the MLB appeared first on Heavy Sports.