Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox Insider Takes Firm Stance On Debut Date For No. 1 Prospect Roman Anthony

When will we see Anthony in the show?
Jackson Roberts|
Red Sox top prospect Roman Anthony gets ready for an at-bat during a WooSox game on April 13, 2025 at Polar Park.
Red Sox top prospect Roman Anthony gets ready for an at-bat during a WooSox game on April 13, 2025 at Polar Park. | WooSox Photo/Ashley Green / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Boston Red Sox

Roman Anthony is coming. It's just a matter of when and how the Boston Red Sox clear the path for his debut.

Still only 20 years old, Anthony is the consensus number-one position player prospect in all of baseball. He's even more highly regarded than Kristian Campbell, who has been killing it for the Red Sox as a rookie, and he's been lighting Triple-A on fire to begin the season.

With a .990 OPS and a ridiculous barrel rate of over 35 percent, Anthony couldn't look the part of a big leaguer any more than he already does. But he'll need everyday playing time when he comes up, so the Red Sox aren't going to make the move until they're ready to take a starting job away from someone else.

Whenever the news of Anthony's debut breaks, Red Sox social media could spontaneously combust with excitement. But when is that news coming?

MLB.com Red Sox beat reporter recently shared his stance/rough prediction on the subject. The proper timeline for Anthony's debut, Browne opined, is sometime in late June, after presumably continuing to destroy minor-league pitching.

"I mean, this guy is the best hitting prospect the Red Sox have had in years," Browne said. "Personally, I think late June is around the right time to go with Anthony. That will give him three full months at Triple-A."

"What the Red Sox have to figure out, really, with Anthony is where is he going to play? Is he going to play center? Is he going to play left? And how are you going to clear out a spot to get him in the lineup? But it's only a matter of time before we see Roman Anthony in the big leagues."

If Anthony plays left field, that likely means Jarren Duran, the Red Sox's lone outfield All-Star from a year ago, will take over center field, while Ceddanne Rafaela becomes a bench piece or trade chip. The same fate awaits Rafaela if Anthony snags center field directly from him.

For now, Anthony just has to stay healthy and keep hitting rockets. The rest will sort itself out in due time.

More MLB: Red Sox Named Blockbuster Trade Landing Spot For $56 Million Ex-Cy Young Winner

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Jackson Roberts
JACKSON ROBERTS

Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Boston Red Sox On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

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