Red Sox's Craig Breslow Gives Take On Underrated Roman Anthony Trait

Few Major League Baseball players are saddled with the kind of expectations Roman Anthony is about to walk into.

Roman Anthony takes a practice swing prior to an at-bat with the Worcester Red Sox on Aug. 14 at Polar Park. WooSox Photo/Ashley Green / USA TODAY NETWORK

Anthony, a 20-year-old outfielder from Florida, is considered by many to be not only the Boston Red Sox's top prospect, but the top prospect in all of baseball. In fact, he's the first Red Sox player to be ranked number-one on a national top prospects list since Yoan Moncada in 2017.

With high expectations comes added pressure, and Anthony could very well become the youngest player in the big leagues when he eventually debuts. It would be easy for a player so young to shy away from the moment or press too hard in the face of those expectations.

However, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow doesn't seem concerned that will happen to Anthony.

In a recent article by Forbes' John Perrotto, Breslow revealed that Anthony's maturity and the leadership qualities he's showing at such a young age are impacting the organization's positive view of the youngster as much as his play on the field.

“I think some things off the field that get overlooked about him are like the maturity he shows, the fact that he’s 20 years old and the way he carries himself,” Breslow said. “He’s a leader on a team of significantly older and experienced players. We’re super excited about what we feel is a very bright future.

“He does a remarkable job of staying present and focused on the development initiatives in front of him... Boston is a tough market, and we try to forecast players’ ability to handle that and we don’t always get it right, but we feel really good about Roman in that regard, too."

Just last week, Anthony was called into question by a Boston radio host who expressed concern that the young outfielder would struggle enough on defense to eventually become a designated hitter. His unconcerned response was a perfect encapsulation of Breslow's praise.

Leadership is going to be an important aspect of Anthony's future, too. It takes leadership qualities to fit in with a group of veterans fighting for a playoff spot, and eventually, Anthony will be one of the veterans setting the tone for the Boston clubhouse as well.

Whether he makes his debut in April, May, or June, Anthony is going to get his chance to affect the course of the Red Sox's season. Whether he succeeds right away can't be known ahead of time, but it doesn't seem as though the moment will ever be too big for him.