Roman Anthony is 20 years old and hasn't played a game in Major League Baseball yet, but he's already finding out the unique aspects of playing for the Boston Red Sox.
On Friday, a well-known Boston radio host went on a mini-rant about a scouting report he found about Anthony that he took to mean the young outfielder wasn't a good defender and could be destined to become a designated hitter.
The clip, posted by 98.5 The Sports Hub on X, currently has 288 replies, most of which clap back at the host's impassioned, seemingly uninformed concerns about Anthony's defensive abilities.
On Saturday, Anthony was about the clip and how he would handle criticism moving forward, and gave a measured, upbeat response.
"I think that’s what makes it such a fun place to play — is that people care so much and that people are constantly talking," Anthony said, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. “I know at least for myself, I love proving people wrong. I love feeding off of that. And I love the fact that Boston fans are always, even regardless of where your team is at or the record, they’re always passionate."
“They’re always there and they hold us to a standard. And I love that,” he added. “I think playing in Boston, you’re playing meaningful baseball 24/7. So just taking on challenges like that is something I’m super excited to be a part of and to learn about when I’m actually there."
Anthony is graded at 50 on the 20-80 scale defensively by most scouting websites. While most agree that he won't be a center fielder at the big-league level, there seems to be little doubt that he'll be a more-than-capable corner outfielder, with some even throwing out a Kyle Tucker comparison.
Whether or not Anthony makes the majors out of spring training, he'll undoubtedly have some growing pains as he goes through the year. But it will be hugely beneficial to him if he can effectively drown out the naysayers as he seems to be doing so far.
