Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony finished third in voting for the American League Rookie of the Year. The Athletics' first baseman Nick Kurtz took home the honor with 30 first-place votes, while Kurtz's teammate, Jacob Wilson, finished second with 23 first-place votes.
The news doesn't come as a complete surprise, considering Anthony made his major league debut in June, and his season was cut short after 71 games due to an oblique injury.
Even if Anthony had been healthy for the full month of September, it may have still been an uphill climb for him to make a stronger case than Kurtz. Kurtz finished the season with 36 home runs and a 270 wRC+. With Kurtz already taking home AL Silver Slugger honors, he was a shoo-in to be named the AL's top rookie.
Roman Anthony may not have been named American League Rookie of the Year, but the Red Sox are still in a great spot
Life is still good if you're Anthony and the Red Sox. Above all else, even if it was just 71 games, the Red Sox rookie proved that he is going to be a superstar. In his first 303 plate appearances at the major league level, Anthony slashed .292/.396/.463 with a wRC+ of 140. And while there might be a sting to Anthony not taking home Rookie of the Year honors, there is a silver lining for the Red Sox.
Had Anthony finished in the top two of voting, he would have unlocked $3 million in bonuses for 2031 through 2033. It was language included in the eight-year, $130 million extension he signed with the Red Sox in August.
While $9 million over three years may seem like pennies to a team like the Red Sox, this is a front office that insisted the San Francisco Giants take the entirety of Rafael Devers' contract off their books instead of getting an actually good return for their star player. If anything, the added $9 million, along with money saved from the Devers' trade earlier this season, should give more of an incentive for Craig Breslow and Co. to be aggressive in free agency this offseason.