Roman Anthony and Alex Bregman need no introduction, but we'll give them anyway. The former is a superstar rookie who recently came into $130 million as part of a long-term extension to keep him planted in Boston for the foreseeable future.
The latter is a superstar veteran who signed a $120 million deal with the Red Sox in free agency, though the length of his tenure in Boston is currently up in the air as he eyes an opt-out following a brilliant 2025 campaign.
The pair have also settled in as the top-two hitters in the lineup against right-handed pitchers, with Bregman moonlighting as the No. 3 hitter against southpaws. Beyond their obvious power production, Bregman and Anthony also share similarities in their advanced plate approach, hence why they bat so high up in the lineup.
In fact, the star duo are the only two players on the team with a chase rate below 20%. Suffice it to say, that's an elite figure, and a very good sign of things to come for Anthony.
Red Sox rookie Roman Anthony's plate approach compares favorably to Alex Bregman
Anthony (19.3%) is actually besting Bregman (19.7%) in chase rate, as the rookie ranks in the 95th percentile league-wide in that metric (Bregman ranks in the 94th percentile). That's hardly the only statistic that matters, but it's promising that Anthony is already one of the best players in the league at holding off on pitches out of the zone at 21 years old.
That advanced eye at the plate is also responsible for Anthony's gargantuan 14.6% walk rate, a figure that dwarfs even Bregman's (10.4%).
Yesterday, Roman Anthony of @RedSox became the first leadoff hitter in the live-ball era to have a game with 4+ runs, 4+ walks and a home run. pic.twitter.com/IHwdJBFAql
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) August 13, 2025
Part of what makes Bregman so lethal at the plate is his patience — he rarely, if ever, gives pitchers free strikes or outs. Anthony is showcasing a similar level of sturdiness in the batter's box, and it's why they both are producing weak contact on batted balls just two percent of the time.
If you need another comparison to understand just how patient Anthony is, take this: Ceddanne Rafaela leads the team in swing percentage (59.8%). Anthony ranks dead last on the team (by a mile) at just 36.4%. There's something to be said about being more aggressive, but he certainly knows how to pick his spots and when to lay off bad pitches.
Now, Anthony isn't perfect, especially when compared to a three-time All-Star like Bregman. The outfielder whiffs twice as often as his third base counterpart, and his strikeout rate (25.6%) is about ten points higher. There's still plenty for him to work on, but that's to be expected for a player who isn't even 60 games into his MLB career.
There was hardly reason to doubt Anthony, but just in case his .283/.402./.434 (136 wRC+) slash line didn't impress you enough, perhaps his wildly advanced plate approach does him more justice.