Roman Anthony has been receiving a ton of attention and is already being touted as a key piece of the Red Sox's future. Ranked as the third-best prospect in all of baseball, Anthony is already drawing interest in a potential long-term deal with Boston before ever stepping foot on a major league diamond. The latest prediction, which may be a difficult expectation to set, puts him in some great company among another recent rookie sensation.
As a peek into the 2025 season, MLB.com gave a look at which upcoming player could replicate a star from last year. Anthony, 20, is predicted to be the next Jackson Merrill, who erupted onto the scene with the Padres, racking up 61 extra-base hits and 90 RBI. Merrill earned a Silver Slugger, an All-Star nod, and placed ninth in the NL MVP voting as a rookie.
MLB shares bold prediction for Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony's rookie season
It was a fantastic debut year for Merrill, and some are thinking that Anthony has the ability to be just as good and as productive as him. Anthony is part of an impressive trio of top prospects within the Red Sox's organization, leaving Boston fans enthused for the 2025 campaign. Anthony performed well with both Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, batting .291 between the two levels with an .894 OPS, so it's not much of a shock that he is being lumped together with Merrill.
433 feet, 108.9 MPH exit velo.
— Hunter Noll (@Hunter_Noll) August 24, 2024
Boston Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony CRUSHES his second Triple-A home run.
Acknowledge him ☝️☝️☝️ pic.twitter.com/MDYBsKkIJi
Anthony clubbed 18 home runs, 32 doubles, and four triples in 119 minor league games in 2024, ending the season on such a hot streak that he doesn't seem to belong anywhere but in the big leagues in 2025. He also drew 21 walks and drove in 10 runs in September, recording eight doubles alongside five stolen bases as part of his closing act in Triple-A.
He looked locked in on the field, and he said he would be ready for spring training with the hopes of making the Opening Day roster. It's difficult to live up to the hype, but Anthony has proven that he can perform at a high level. Immediately translating that success as a rookie in Major League Baseball is no simple task, but if Anthony is already being compared to Merrill, then he might just have what it takes to be Boston's next star in no time.