Roman Anthony has shown flashes of greatness since debuting on June 9, 2025.
June 27 to July 13, 2025 was when he first started to click, slashing .371/.435/.532.
Aug. 11 to Aug. 29 of that year was when he tapped into his power for the first time, as he hit six home runs while slashing .333/.423/.636.
March 26 to April 6 of this season wasn’t his best stretch by any imagination, but he did lead the team in almost every single offensive category while it scuffled as badly as anyone would have expected.
It’s safe to say we all know why he was so highly touted as a prospect, but we’re just now seeing how good the young man can actually be. Anthony is 4-for-8 with three extra-base hits since returning from the injured list on Sunday. I don’t want to overstate his contributions, especially considering it has been just two games, but no one can doubt the fact that he has not only brought stability to the leadoff spot but quickly showed just how important his presence will be headed down the stretch.
The Red Sox looked like they were about to drop their fifth game in the last seven days when he stepped to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning on Monday — then he did that thing where he crushes the ball 106.5 MPH off the bat before scoring the game-tying run to make it 8-8. If they had anyone else up to bat in that position, you’re looking at an entirely different anatomy of the inning.
Jarren Duran, Nick Sogard, and Anthony Seigler have been the most commonly used leadoff hitters this season, with the team as a whole carrying a .685 OPS from that spot (30th in MLB). Masataka Yoshida and Mickey Gasper had been the best replacements, but the former is on the IL and the latter is currently driving in runs at a pace that would make Barry Bonds blush. Anthony is the perfect guy for that job, and his ability to start producing as soon as he was activated could make a major difference as we head into the last month of the season.
Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu will be the main benefactors of hitting behind the designated hitter, which lines up perfectly because they rank 10th and 19th, respectively, in RBI since the 2026 MLB All-Star Break. It’s all about getting them on, getting them over, and getting them in, and this trip has been as good as anyone at that over the last two months.
The Red Sox must be very happy with the way things have lined up, and they should. Anthony has finally started to show why everyone was so excited for him to arrive. Now it’s time to stick around for a while.
(ALSO: Can we talk about the new hair? It’s incredible.)
