Red Sox’s Roman Anthony Joins Elite Club With Ken Griffey Jr., Mickey Mantle

The Boston Red Sox phenom shined on Thursday afternoon.

Aug 26, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (19) stands in the dugout before the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

Boston Red Sox baseball officially is back and the club didn't waste any time getting in the win column.

Boston faced off against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday on the road for Opening Day and came out on top, 3-0. Garrett Crochet dazzled across six shutout innings. Aroldis Chapman slammed the door shut with his first save of the season. Marcelo Mayer was a late-game star for Boston. He pinch hit late and went 2-for-2 and scored two of the Red Sox's three runs. Also, it was a big day for young outfielder Roman Anthony.

Anthony went 3-for-4 on the day with a walk, one run scored and a strikeout. The buzz around Anthony has been very loud over the last few months, but it's important to note that he's still just 21 years old and this was his first Opening Day in the big leagues. He lived up to the hype and then some. In fact, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe shared on Bluesky that Anthony is the 14th player ever to reach base four times or more on Opening Day at 21 years old or younger.

Roman Anthony joined some wild company after Opening Day

Mar 7, 2026; Houston, TX, United States; United States right fielder Roman Anthony (3) runs the bases after hitting a single against Great Britain during the second inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Anthony joins a group that also includes Joe Mauer, Ken Griffey Jr., Mickey Mantle and Jimmie Foxx, among others. Mauer was the last guy to accomplish this feat back in 2004 as a member of the Minnesota Twins. Now, does this mean that Anthony is going to go on and have a career like Griffey or Mantle? Not necessarily. But he just continues to find a way to impress.

The expectations for Anthony likely are too high. He's just 21 years old and is entering his first full big league season with some already saying he could go out and win the American League Most Valuable Player Award. Or, at least, the expectations should be too high. But he continues to impress and live up to the hype.

The Red Sox have just one regular-season game under their belt, but they couldn't have asked for a better day. Crochet looked like a Cy Young contender, Anthony tore the cover off the ball, and Trevor Story, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Mayer all had big hits. It was as smooth an Opening Day as Red Sox fans could've hoped for. Now, Boston fans have to wait for Game 2 on Saturday against Cincinnati.