Boston Red Sox fans have referred to top outfield prospect Roman Anthony as "the best prospect in baseball" based on Baseball America's rankings from earlier in the offseason.
Anthony took hold of the No. 1 prospect slot after Junior Caminero lost his prospect status during the 2024 season. The future Red Sox outfielder reigned as baseball's best prospect until Jan. 22, when the Los Angeles Dodgers made official their signing of Roki Sasaki (subscription required).
Sasaki is just 23 years old and was only eligible to sign a minor-league deal in international free agency. He'll likely be a fixture of LA's rotation soon enough, though, and his prospect status is not long for this world. If Anthony makes Boston's Opening Day roster, neither is his.
Still, being listed as the second-best prospect in MLB is quite the accomplishment. Fellow Sox prospect Kristian Campbell ranks near Anthony on Baseball America's list at No. 4. The righty wasn't featured in the top 100 before the 2024 season, but his meteoric rise through Boston's farm system is undeniably worth a mention.
Campbell has also shared his aspirations to make the Opening Day roster, a chance that looks more possible with every passing day. If the Red Sox don't sign a righty bat, Campbell could slot in as the team's starting second baseman. However, Vaughn Grissom, another righty, could also land the job.
Roki Sasaki forces Roman Anthony down to the No. 2 prospect in baseball, three other Red Sox make Baseball America's list
The @RedSox have two prospects in the Top 5
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) January 22, 2025
- Roman Anthony
- Kristian Campbell
There is some supreme talent in Boston's pipeline 👀https://t.co/Sm2jUpwqEi pic.twitter.com/dEtjsdi5Gw
Marcelo Mayer and Franklin Arias also made Baseball America's top 100 at No. 15 and 76, respectively. Mayer is the only one of the two nearing MLB readiness, as the 19-year-old Arias finished his 2024 campaign in Single-A Salem.
Mayer is the least likely of Boston's "Big Three" prospects to make the Opening Day roster. He was promoted to Triple-A alongside Anthony and former Sox prospect Kyle Teel in August, but a back injury prematurely ended his season. Mayer will need to get some at-bats in with the WooSox before he's promoted to the big leagues unless he has an insane spring training.
In Red Sox Nation's eyes, the Sox still own the No. 1 prospect in baseball. Sasaki hardly counts as a prospect, as he pitched four years of top-tier baseball in Japan, and the flamethrower won't hold prospect status for long when he inevitably deals for the Dodgers in a few months. Even with Anthony's slight demotion, four of the top 100 prospects in baseball are Red Sox, and their future is bright.