Roman Anthony didn’t wait long to justify the mass panic and anxiety he indirectly created for Red Sox fans shortly before the MLB trade deadline.
Anthony, one of Boston’s top prospects, was out of the Portland Sea Dogs lineup Tuesday night. Normally, that’s no big deal, but when that revelation hits the internet an hour or so before the deadline, it causes a bit of a stir, especially for fans who want to see what he can do with the Red Sox. Anthony’s absence proved to be nothing more than a night off, though, and he remains a key part of the organization’s future.
He was back in the lineup Thursday, and he had himself a night. Anthony hit home runs Nos. 12 and 13 of the season for the first multihomer game of his professional career. Both dingers were awe-inspiring, but the first of the night — a laser beam off Gifford’s Pavilion and Hadlock Field came off the bat at 116 mph.
As Baseball America pointed out, it’s the hardest-hit ball by any Red Sox player this season.
Anthony added another hit and a stolen base for good measure in Portland’s 9-3 victory, the club’s sixth straight win. Anthony now leads the Sea Dogs with his 13 round-trippers. The 2022 second-round pick has been a fast climber, quickly becoming one of the top prospects in baseball. He’s still widely considered the second-best prospect in the system, behind Sea Dogs teammate Marcelo Mayer, but MLB.com’s recent top 100 rankings had Anthony checking in at No. 14 in baseball.
Fangraphs also ranks Anthony 14th among all prospects, and the publication’s “TLDR” capsule about Anthony speaks to his tantalizing future: “Anthony developed into a better center fielder throughout 2023 and has the offensive foundation (plate discipline and contact) to be a top-five prospect if he can more readily get to his power in games.”
It’s worth noting that at just age 20 (his birthday was in May), Anthony is nearly four years younger than his average peer at Double-A. It’s easy to see why MLB insider Jon Heyman described Anthony as “basically untouchable” for the Red Sox.
