Roman Anthony moves one step closer to the majors
Photo Credit: The Boston Globe
On Tuesday, the Red Sox promoted one of their top prospects Roman Anthony to High A-Greenville. The Florida native is currently ranked as the No. 4 prospect in Boston's farm system by Baseball America. With Anthony now in Greenville, he is one prospect that will be watched closely.
The Red Sox selected Anthony with the 79th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft after an impressive high school career. The year before he was drafted, Anthony led Stoneman Douglas High School to its second straight 7-A state title and won Gatorade's Florida High School Player of the Year Award. His play caught the Red Sox's eye, and they paid him $2.5 million, their highest bonus in the 2022 Draft.
In 42 games for Salem this year, the 19-year-old posted a .228 batting average. He has driven in 18 runs in 158 at-bats and shown some power with 11 extra-base hits. While the talented outfielder hasn't produced numbers that jump off the page, he hits the ball hard. Anthony’s approach at the plate has also created reasons for optimism.
"He looks like he's been in pro ball for multiple years versus a guy who's getting his first full taste of full-season ball," Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said of Anthony in a recent conversation with Alex Speier.
While Anthony has impressed offensively, he has shown the ability to move around the diamond when needed. So far this season, he has spent 127 innings in right, nine in left, and 156 in center. As he moves through the system, versatility will be key.
Although the 2022 draftee only has 36 hits, he is less than one year removed from hitting .306 between two levels. His focus going forward will be hitting the ball in the air consistently. For Greenville fans, it should be an exciting summer as they will get a first-hand look at one outfielder who could be critical to Boston’s future.
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