Trevor Story’s rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester lasted only four games and 16 plate appearances. But it was enough time for him to get a look at baseball’s No. 1 prospect, Roman Anthony.
Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony gets high fives from teammates after scoring a run during a WooSox game on Sept. 10. (Katie Morrison-O'Day / MassLive)Katie Morrison-O'Day
“I couldn’t be more high on that guy,” Story said here at Fenway Park on Monday.
At just 20 years old, Anthony is knocking on the door of the big leagues. Baseball America just moved him up to No. 1 on its Top 100 list. The center fielder entered Tuesday batting .340 (32-for-94) with a .418 on-base percentage, .543 slugging percentage, .961 OPS, three homers, eight RBIs, one triple, 22 runs, 13 RBIs, 14 walks and 20 strikeouts in 23 games since Boston promoted him from Double-A Portland to Worcester.
“He’s so mature. You think you’re talking to a 30-year-old,” Story said. “Just the way he carries himself. He’s very confident but in the right way. He controls the zone, has really good at-bats. Hits the ball hard.”
The Red Sox have six prospects on Baseball America’s Top 100 list and four of them are at Worcester. BA moved Anthony into the No. 1 spot with Rays’ Junior Caminero graduating from prospect status after recording his 130th major league at-bat Tuesday.
In addition to Anthony, shortstop Marcelo Mayer is ranked 10th, center fielder/shortstop Kristian Campbell is ranked No. 24 and catcher Kyle Teel is No. 25.
Story, who is under contract with the Red Sox through 2027, is excited about playing with this group in the near future. Story has spent significant time injured the past two years (including 133 games on the IL this year) but manager Alex Cora calls him “the quarterback” when healthy because of the way he communicates with other defenders and makes the entire infield better. He has 79 career defensive runs saved at shortstop.
The Red Sox will look to Story to help these young prospects with the transition to the big leagues.
“We’re in a good spot organizationally,” Story said. “They have put a lot of work into the development side and I think that these guys are seeing the benefits of that. And it’s fun to see the possibility of playing with those guys soon.”
How hard Anthony hits the ball for someone his age (or really any age) stands out as Story mentioned. He has home runs at Worcester that have gone 415 feet with a 108.1 mph exit velocity and 433 feet with a 108.9 mph exit velocity.
He blasted a 116 mph homer for Portland on July 31, the hardest hit ball in the organization (majors and minors) so far this season. Rafael Devers has the hardest max exit velocity (114.7 mph) for Boston this year. Only 15 balls have been hit with an exit velocity of 116 mph or higher in the major leagues in 2024.
Anthony also crushed a double with a 112.5 mph exit velocity to lead off Worcester’s game Sunday at Rochester.
The 22-year-old Campbell — who began the season unranked on Baseball America’s Red Sox Top 30 list — took advantage of the opportunity of having Story with Worcester for four games.
“I was impressed because he was asking me a lot of questions about shortstop and just about playing the infield,” Story said. “So he’s very hungry about getting better.”
Campbell also has had extremely impressive exit velocities. His longest and hardest Triple-A homer was a 431-foot, 108.3 mph three-run blast to center field against Toledo on Aug. 27.
Campbell’s first Triple-A homer traveled 422 feet with a 105.3 mph exit velocity Aug. 23 against Rochester. He also stroked a 111.2 mph single in that game.
Baseball America recently wrote about Campbell, “His 108 mph 90th percentile EV against RHPs is plus-plus raw power, which is exceptional given the contact skills, and his maximum exit velocity of 111.2 is already above the major league median.”
“He was impressive,” Story said about Campbell. “Just a real physical kid. Really good athlete. And pretty mature. This is his first year of pro ball and he’s already at Triple A. So that’s impressive.”
Campbell entered Tuesday with a .329/.439/.560/.999 line, 20 homers, 32 doubles, three triples, 77 RBIs, 94 runs, 74 walks and 113 strikeouts in 113 games (512 plate appearances) between High-A Greenville, Portland and Worcester.
Baseball America’s Eli Ben-Porat noted, “It’s very close, but in this writer’s opinion, Kristian Campbell is the best prospect in the Boston Red Sox system.”
Roommates and battery mates
Rookie right-hander Richard Fitts, who made his MLB debut Sunday, was roommates with 22-year-old Teel in Worcester after the catcher received a promotion Aug. 12.
“I like his work ethic a lot,” Fitts said. “He immediately was just very open with just how much he wanted to get to know us as pitchers. He was very excited to catch, even just sides. Us going out there and throwing our bullpens, he wanted to catch everybody. He wanted to get to know everybody. ... He wants to get better and get to know us just so when we do throw in-game with him that he’s comfortable and we’re comfortable with him. So I just thought that said a lot about his maturity.”
Fitts added that both Anthony and Campbell really impressed him.
“Roman, I thought he was having some really good at-bats. He looked really comfortable,” Fitts said. “Every time he stepped up to the plate we pretty much thought he was getting on base. .. Campbell was really impressive, too, just as far as his bat-to-ball skills.”
Mikey Romero has six homers in 11 games
Red Sox 2022 first round draft pick Mikey Romero has six homers in his first 11 games at Double-A Portland. He was promoted there Aug. 27.
Story spent time working out with Romero while they rehabbed together in Fort Myers last year. Romero was limited to just 34 games in 2023 because of back issues.
“He’s swinging it,” Story said. “I’m happy for him because he’s gone through a lot. He’s had a lot of tough breaks. Just happy for the kid because he deserves it and he’s worked for that.”
