The Boston Red Sox's offense has been largely underwhelming in the first weeks of the season, and it has fans asking about the team's plans to call up top outfield prospect, Roman Anthony.
The Sox's No. 1 prospect has put on a show in Triple-A, and he's fresh off a two-homer game, one of which was a grand slam. He's batting .283/.433/.585 with a 1.018 OPS and 12 RBI through 15 games, and looks like just the offensive boost Boston needs as its biggest bats struggle to find their way.
But Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow isn't ready to call Anthony up just yet. He explained his reasoning to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.
“Developmentally, (getting him) a little more comfortable playing in the outfield," Breslow said. “And then also getting him exposed to left-on-left, making sure he can handle that. He has done significant damage vs. right (handed pitchers) and we trust that long-term, it’s not going to be an issue, but in the short-term, giving him a chance to get exposed to left-handed pitching is the thing that’s front of mind right now.”
Craig Breslow explains what Red Sox want to see from Roman Anthony before he's promoted to the big leagues
Roman Anthony is LOCKED IN at the plate in Triple-A!
— MLB (@MLB) April 17, 2025
His second home run of the game is a grand slam 😤 pic.twitter.com/bskFx6DRW2
Some Red Sox fans on social media have taken to asking why the team doesn't transition Anthony into a first baseman. Triston Casas has struggled at the plate early on and Boston's outfield is jam-packed with Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, Rob Refsnyder, and occasionally Kristian Campbell in the mix. Breslow officially squashed any chance of a potential position change with his comments.
Anthony has been playing through a sore shoulder since April 11. He's been Triple-A Worcester's designated hitter while he recovers, and while he's had no problem slugging through the pain, his outfield development has been tabled. His major league debut will have to wait until he's returned to the outfield to fine-tune his skills, and it could take weeks for the Sox to decide he's ready for promotion.
Anthony has actually done quite a bit of damage against lefty pitchers this season, with a .304 batting average in 23 at-bats. He's batted .267 in 30 at-bats against righties, but has a higher slugging percentage against right-handers (.633 compared to .522).
As much as Boston could use an offensive lift, Anthony probably won't be in the majors anytime soon. The Red Sox emphasized that they won't call up their top prospects until they can play an everyday role on the team, and they don't have room for Anthony with the outfield full and Rafael Devers as the everyday designated hitter. Breslow outlined the criteria he'll need to meet before his debut, though, and Sox fans will surely be on the lookout for the improvements he hopes to see.