Roman Anthony is already building an empire
When Eduardo Rodriguez signed with the Detroit Tigers in free agency before the 2022 season, the Boston Red Sox received a compensatory pick for the next MLB Draft. That pick was number 79, and they used it to select high school outfielder Roman Anthony.
Anthony received a nice signing bonus to lure him away from Ole Miss, where he committed to play College ball.
So the Red Sox got their guy. But the Florida native had some questions surrounding his game. There was plenty of raw power potential. He was a solid defender in the outfield. Even the speed wasn't bad. But would he be able to hit the ball much? That seemed to be the question.
31 Single-A games into the 2023 season (and 10 more in Single-A last season), and Anthony seems to have given us an answer. Yes.
One look at the numbers might make you question this. The left-handed hitter is slashing .246/.392/.339 with seven doubles and one home run. He's driven in 16 runs, scored 22 more, and stolen 11 bases. That's not bad, but if you aren't watching him play, you might not be all that impressed.
Anthony's passing all the tests with flying colors, though. His approach has been phenomenal. The 19-year-old (who just had his birthday on May 13) has walked more times (29) than he's struck out (27). He's also consistently making hard contact with the ball.
And if you're worried about the home runs, don't be. The Salem Red Sox play their home games in a ballpark that is allergic to home runs. It's a barren wasteland where power goes to die.
The power is absolutely still there. A trend I've noticed all year comes when Salem has an away series. Whenever Anthony comes up to the plate, the opposing announcers seem to all introduce him by talking about his impressive power and how the ball just sounds different coming off his bat.
I understand why a .246 average and .33 slugging percentage might have box score watchers worried. There are so many nuances to the game, though. And those nuances are especially important when talking about prospects. We actually touch on all of this in the latest MiLB Pesky Report episode with the amazing Ian Cundall of SoxProspects.com (which is at the bottom of this article).
Everyone that watches Anthony play can see the potential he possesses, though. How impressive has he been, exactly? ESPN's Kiley McDaniel recently released his updated top 50 prospects list. Roman Anthony comes in at number 49.
Let's take a step back and think about that. Anthony is a 2022 second-round compensatory pick. Number 79 overall. He's an outfielder coming out of high school that some had questions about.
41 games into his Single-A career, and he's already turning heads so much that he's cracking top 50 prospect lists. That's an unheard-of rise.
Roman Anthony is building a name for himself at a rapid pace. Can he build an empire with the Boston Red Sox? He's certainly creating a lot of believers.
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