The wait is over. Roman Anthony, the No. 1 prospect in the Boston Red Sox system and all of MLB, is finally a big-leaguer.
Anthony received his much-anticipated call-up to the majors before Monday’s series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. He was about to get on Triple-A Worcester’s team bus when WooSox manager Chad Tracy delivered the news.
“We were getting ready to get on the bus, and he sent us a message and said, ‘Hey, we’re gonna delay the bus, something might be going on at the top,'” Anthony recalled.
“I didn’t really think anything of it, to be honest, just was kind of waiting around in the food room with a few of the guys, and then all of a sudden he came out and just said, ‘Hey, you’re going to the big leagues. From there on out, it’s kind of been a little bit of a blur, but it was amazing. You dream of that every single day. So to finally hear it was awesome.”
The Red Sox promoted Anthony roughly three hours before Monday’s game. The short notice didn’t bother him, as his rush-hour drive to Boston beat a four-hour drive to Allentown, Pa.
“It was great — there wasn’t too much traffic,” Anthony said. “It was nice. I got to kind of just get here as quick as I could. And obviously, you know, a little bit of a short notice, but better than being on the bus to Lehigh Valley right now.”
Donning No. 48, Anthony batted fifth in the Red Sox lineup and started in right field for his MLB debut. He’ll be counted on to bring a boost to Boston’s inconsistent offense after slashing .288/.423/.491 with 10 homers and 29 RBI in 58 games with Worcester this season.
“It’s the same game,” Anthony added. “I haven’t been a part of it yet. I’m excited to do that for the first time tonight. It’s more excitement and knowing you’re ready and trusting in my ability to go out there, have fun, plays with these guys and help this team win.”
Anthony took the field to a standing ovation from the Fenway Faithful. Before the game, he spoke on the opportunity to play for one of the best fanbases in professional sports.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “This fanbase is so strong and they’ve shown me love throughout the entirety of my career, whether that be in rookie ball all the way up to whatever it was. To finally be able to experience that tonight at the big league level is something I’m really looking forward to. It’s something I’m looking forward to for a long time.”
