Worcester, MA – August 13: Worcester Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony stands for the playing of the national anthem before his first game at Polar Park. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Roman Anthony is beyond ready.
The 20-year-old phenom is proving he’s too talented to sit in Triple-A for much longer, but the Boston Red Sox‘s hands are tied.
It’s been an ongoing discussion since the beginning of the offseason. How can the Red Sox get Anthony, Just Baseball’s No. 1 overall prospect, on the big-league roster? There’s just no spot for him.
I’ve heard the phrase “It’s a good problem to have” far too many times at this point, and I’m done with it. I’m sure many Red Sox fans feel the same way. It’s not a “good problem” if it means the best possible lineup isn’t the one that’s being rolled out each night.
The Red Sox haven’t gotten off to the start they had hoped, especially in a weak American League. Still, they are sitting at .500 and three games back of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. They could use a spark.
Roman Anthony would be that spark.
All stats updated prior to games on May 14.
Too Good for Minor League Baseball
Before we talk about Anthony’s Triple-A numbers, it’s important to note this isn’t just a flash in the pan. Anthony has had an OPS north of .870 at every stop he’s made in the Red Sox organization, except for a 52-game stint at Single-A (.662). His OPS has climbed each year.
Anthony has only played 71 games at Triple-A Worcester, but it’s clear it’s not where he belongs.
Over those 71 games, he’s slashed .321/.440/.496 with 28 extra-base hits. Those numbers are split between 35 games in 2024 and 36 games to start 2025.
There are two main reasons as to why he has an OPS over .900. The first is his ability to barrel the baseball at an elite level.
On May 7, Anthony had the second-highest barrel rate across every level of MiLB. There was even a point in April where he had the highest barrel rate in baseball across the board — yes, including MLB.
When he’s not pulverizing the baseball, he’s taking his walks, which is the second point. His selectively aggressive approach is what allows him to barrel the baseball at absurd rates.
This season, Anthony has taken the fourth-most walks in Triple-A with 28. His 17.4% walk rate is the fifth-highest clip among Triple-A hitters with at least 150 plate appearances. That’s pretty good for a 20-year-old.
It’s pretty evident that Triple-A is no match for Roman Anthony, but the issue starts when you try to find a spot for him on the big league roster.
Boston’s Current Outfield Picture
It’s not often that a team has too much depth, but that’s the case for the 2025 Red Sox, particularly in the outfield.
The Red Sox outfield consists of Jarren Duran in left, Ceddanne Rafaela in center, and Wilyer Abreu in right.
Does Anthony have a higher ceiling than each of them? The answer is yes. That doesn’t mean you can take big league talent out of the lineup.
Jarren Duran
Duran earned MVP votes last year. He’s not off to the hottest start this season, with just an 86 wRC+, but he’s still been worth 0.4 fWAR — because “speed never slumps”.
Duran has the longest leash of the three; he’s a leader of this team, and he tends to heat up as spring turns to summer. As Duran goes, the Red Sox go.
Anthony is not replacing Duran.
Wilyer Abreu
Abreu was floated in trade talks all offseason after he finished top five in AL Rookie of the Year voting last season while winning a Gold Glove in right field. Ultimately, he stayed put and has been one of the best players in baseball through the first month and a half of 2025.
From 2024 to 2025, Abreu has cut down on his strikeout rate by nearly 10% and is whiffing at just an 18.7% clip compared to 29.6% last season. In short, it’s sustainable, at least to a certain degree.
He is tied for eighth in baseball with 11 home runs, which is already more than two-thirds of the way to his rookie year total of 15. As of now, he’s the starting rightfielder for the AL in the All-Star Game.
Anthony is not replacing Abreu.
Ceddanne Rafaela
https://x.com/RedSox/status/1920572606010327160
The argument against Rafaela is the most valid, which is why his section will be the longest.
We’ve always known that Rafaela is a wizard defensively; the question was whether the bat was enough to warrant him playing every day.
He started out cold, but he has a 133 wRC+ in May and has been putting up much better at-bats dating back to mid-April.
The biggest change has come with his strikeout rate. As a rookie last season, it was 26.4%. This season, it’s dropped to just 17.1%.
He’s also been unlucky. Despite slashing .242/.299/.371, his expected numbers tell a different story.
His xwOBA is in the 79th percentile, his xBA is in the 84th percentile, and his xSLG is in the 82nd percentile. Last year, none of those were above the 28th percentile.
The fact that his expected numbers are increasing is not accidental. It’s largely a byproduct of his improved quality of contact.
His average exit velocity has jumped from 86.6 to 91.2 mph, his barrel rate has nearly doubled, and his hard-hit rate has jumped from the 31st percentile to the 73rd percentile.
Defensively, he’s neck-and-neck with Pete Crow-Armstrong to be called the best center fielder in baseball. They each have 8 DRS. Crow-Armstrong has the edge in OAA, but he has also played 51 more innings. All in all, Rafaela has a 99th percentile fielding run value (per Baseball Savant).
He also has a 1.0 fWAR, which is the fifth highest on the Red Sox this season.
Anthony is not replacing Rafaela — at least for now.
The Service Time Argument
It’s worth noting that since the Red Sox waited, if they were to call up Anthony right now, they run the risk of losing a year of control if he finishes top two for AL Rookie of the Year.
That’s a risk I’m willing to take.
In my opinion, if Anthony gets called up this year, wins ROTY, and the Red Sox lose a year of control, I’m more than fine with it.
Think about it, it’s already mid-May. There’s been a month and a half of games already for guys like Jacob Wilson and Kristian Campbell to accumulate stats.
If Anthony came up now, winning ROTY would mean he was not just the best rookie, but one of the best players in baseball over the final four months of the season. Sign me up.
Final Thoughts
If I’m being honest, I don’t know what the Red Sox should do.
There’s a reason Roman Anthony is our No. 1 overall prospect, but there’s also a reason he hasn’t been called up yet — there’s simply no place to put him.
If I had to put money on it, I’d say Rafaela gets moved to the bench, but I’m not a fan of that idea.
The Red Sox front office is going to have to make a very tough decision. Whether that is a week from now or in September, it will be equally difficult.
When they need Roman Anthony, Worcester’s only an hour away from Boston.
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