Red Sox's Alex Cora Explains Intriguing New Roman Anthony Decision

Leadoff Roman enters the chat

Jul 7, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Roman Anthony (19) hits a two run home run during the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox have quickly and emphatically dispelled any notion that Roman Anthony would be eased into the majors.

It's been less than two months since Anthony came up to the majors, and he's been as advertised - an absolute stud in the batter's box. He's got a 121 OPS+ despite a slow start, with an on-base percentage of .382 that leads all players on the team, regardless of playing time.

On Sunday, though, the Red Sox are trying something new with Anthony. He'll be the leadoff hitter in the series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers, something he did for most of the season in Triple-A, with Jarren Duran (who usually leads off against right-handed pitchers) batting third.

Manager Alex Cora explained the rationale behind this new tall task that the team is entrusting Anthony to handle.

“Roman has done that throughout his career (in the minors), and I feel like today was a good day to try it,” Cora said, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. “JD has been really good with men on throughout the season. So last night after the game, I was like, we should give it a try, see what happens.”

It's a decision that makes a lot of sense for both players' skill sets. While Anthony has, as previously mentioned, excelled at getting on base, Duran has been excellent this season with traffic on the bases in front of him. He's got an .878 OPS in 169 plate appearances this season with runners on base.

That included the momentum-changing swing of Saturday night's game, when Duran laced a two-run triple to tie it in the bottom of the second inning. He added another triple, which left the bat at 110.9 miles per hour, in the sixth.

Anthony has been able to manage every responsibility the Red Sox have thrown at him, and he's frankly swung the momentum of the season since arriving in the big leagues. And if he takes well to the leadoff spot, the season could take off in the second half.

It's a crucial series finale, and it kicks off at 1:35 p.m. from Fenway Park.