Even as the Boston Red Sox have had their ups and downs all season, currently in a dogfight for a playoff spot that it doesn't look like they'll win, fans and team executives have their eyes on the future.
The team's "Big Three" prospects — Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, and Kyle Teel — have been a hot topic of discussion all season. They may have become the "Big Four" recently, thanks to Kristian Campbell tearing the cover off the ball all year long. Campbell's had such a good season that he's made himself the fifth-best Red Sox prospect and 74th-ranked in all of baseball.
Entering the season, Mayer was the top Red Sox prospect, and Roman Anthony was right behind him. That's stayed true all season, with Mayer the third-best prospect in baseball and Anthony at 12th overall according to MLB Pipeline. However, it might not stay that way for long.
In Bleacher Report's article about the top prospects at each minor league level for each organization, they list Anthony as the team's best prospect at Triple-A, ahead of Teel and Campbell, but also ahead of Mayer. Bleacher Report is not the first publication to list Anthony ahead of Mayer. Baseball America lists Anthony, the 20-year-old outfielder, as its No. 1 overall prospect in MLB.
Another multi-hit game for Roman Anthony! 🔥
— Red Sox Player Development (@RedSoxPlayerDev) September 18, 2024
He tallied three knocks and a pair of RBI in the @WooSox win last night. pic.twitter.com/GINIdMrA3m
Bleacher Report predicts Roman Anthony will overtake Marcelo Mayer as Red Sox No. 1 prospect in 2025
The hype for Anthony is far from undeserved, as he's posted an incredible second, full professional season. He started the year with Double-A Portland and slashed .269/.367/.489 with an .856 OPS, 15 home runs, 20 doubles and 16 stolen bases in 84 games.
He was then promoted to Worcester alongside Mayer and Teel. Through his first 29 games with the WooSox, he has a scorching hot .327/.431/.504 slash line with a .935 OPS, three home runs, nine doubles, 22 walks and three stolen bags.
Mayer himself has had a strong season this year as well, slashing .307/.370/.480 with 28 doubles, eight home runs, and 13 stolen bases to go with 30 walks in 77 games. However, Mayer never got into a game with the WooSox after being promoted, as he was shut down for the season with a lumbar strain.
Anthony is certainly deserving of top Red Sox prospect status thanks to the incredible season he's had, and he already owns the No. 1 spot in some fans' minds. The spring training performances from the quartet of Anthony, Mayer, Teel, and Campbell will be must-see as they try to play their way onto the major league roster.