Ken Rosenthal Is Half-Right About Red Sox's Roman Anthony Gamble

Are the Boston Red Sox putting too much on Roman Anthony's plate?

Just over eight months have passed since Anthony made his major league debut, and already, he's carried the team for several weeks, sustained an injury that put him out of action for the playoffs, and been named the Red Sox's leadoff hitter. He's also playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic next month

That's a whirlwind for a young player, and as Boston looks to return to the postseason, the fact that the club didn't add anyone who projects to be a more impactful hitter than Anthony has some prominent voices concerned about how he'll react to having so much pressure to lead the offense.

Ken Rosenthal's take on Anthony is almost fair

Aug 29, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Roman Anthony (19) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

On Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic worried that the Red Sox were heaping too much responsibility on Anthony's shoulders. However, the insider also raised alarm bells about keeping Anthony healthy that weren't altogether justified.

"The more you look at it, the more it appears Anthony needs to be the centerpiece. That’s asking a lot of a young player, especially in a market as intense as Boston," wrote Rosenthal.

"Manager Alex Cora will need to handle him carefully. In Anthony’s two previous seasons, he played under the schedule Major League Baseball implemented for the minors in 2021: six-game series with an off day every Monday. He also had a scheduled off day each week, a common practice most organizations employ for their minor leaguers."

Anthony's oblique injury certainly wasn't ideal, but it also didn't scream "recurring injury risk." The young outfielder added quality weight to his frame over the offseason as well, which should help reduce injury risk on explosive movements throughout the year.

It felt like we were just starting to see how special Anthony could be at the time of his injury. He'd recently led off two games with home runs in the same series, then taken eventual National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes out of Fenway Park on a 99-mph heater.

It's fair to worry about Anthony not immediately living up to superstar expectations, but he's also got the potential to be so special, so quickly, that we should dedicate just as much energy to wondering what could happen in a best-case scenario.