Roman Anthony is set to join 11 of his Boston Red Sox teammates in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
The budding superstar outfielder will play for Team USA if he passes his physical on Saturday, according to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. He would serve as the injury replacement for Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll, who recently suffered a broken hamate bone.
If all goes well with his physical, Anthony will represent the United States alongside Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock. The 21-year-old has apparently had a change of heart after ending his rookie season with an oblique injury.
“I would say that’s out of play,” Anthony said last month about playing in the WBC, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. “There’s a lot of noise that I’ve heard, but for me, the goal after this year was, ‘Hey, I ended on an injury. I don’t want to rush into something.’ I think this was on both ends, not just my side. This is gonna be the first full year of a big league season. It’s important we take advantage of spring and this offseason going into spring training.”
Anthony will be one of the most exciting young players in the tournament. The former No. 1 prospect showcased his star potential through 71 games last season, slashing .292/.396/.463 with 18 doubles, eight homers, and 32 RBI.
While it’ll be fun to watch Anthony on an international stage, it’ll be nerve-racking for Sox fans as he’s one of the most important pieces of the 2026 club. The Red Sox, already lacking power in their lineup, cannot afford to lose him to injury.
Anthony will join the entire Red Sox outfield in the World Baseball Classic. Here’s the full list of players on Boston’s 40-man roster who are expected to participate:
Full list of Red Sox WBC participants
- Roman Anthony – USA
- Garrett Whitlock – USA
- Jarren Duran – Mexico
- Wilyer Abreu – Venezuela
- Ranger Suarez – Venezuela
- Willson Contreras – Venezuela
- Masataka Yoshida – Japan
- Brayan Bello – Dominican Republic
- Greg Weissert – Italy
- Ceddanne Rafaela – Netherlands
- Jovani Moran – Puerto Rico
- Nate Eaton – Great Britain
The 2026 World Baseball Classic is scheduled to run from March 5 to March 17.
