Red Sox's Roman Anthony's Outlook Somehow Even Better Now

It's no secret that Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony has a lot of fans around the league.

Anthony is just 21 years old and entered the big leagues with expectations that should've been impossible to live up to. Anthony only was able to play in 71 games because his season was cut short due to injury, but somehow he did live up to the lofty expectations. Anthony was a 3.1-WAR player in just 71 games at 21 years old. That's insanity. Five-time All-Star and 2023 NL Most Valuable Player Ronald Acuña Jr. played in 95 games and also was a 3.1-WAR player, to put Anthony's performance into perspective. That's the type of pace Anthony was on.

He has been red-hot in the World Baseball Classic as well for Team USA slashing .333/.474/.533 with one homer, six RBIs, and four walks in four games. His six RBIs lead Team USA. There has been a lot said about a lack of power in the Boston lineup. On Friday, ESPN's Jeff Passan shared a comprehensive column previewing the 2026 season. For Boston, unsurprisingly, Passan noted that the "season hinges" on Anthony. In the process, Passan noted that Anthony has put in "constant work" in the cage with a focus on putting the ball in the air more.

The Red Sox slugger has a massive season coming

Mar 9, 2026; Houston, TX, United States; United States outfielder Roman Anthony (3) celebrates a home run in the third inning against Mexico at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

"Why the season hinges on Roman Anthony: Nobody on the Red Sox roster can match Anthony's ceiling — and constant work in Boston's batting cages has helped him elevate the ball more consistently," Passan wrote. "Should that translate into the regular season, the Red Sox are looking at an MVP candidate.

"At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Anthony is a physical specimen who also understands how to draw walks and frustrate pitchers with his almost laser-like sense of the strike zone. If Anthony is good, the Red Sox will be good. If Anthony is great, Boston's ceiling is limitless."

That's very interesting. The hype around Anthony obviously has been massive but he hasn't hit more than 18 homers in a professional season so far. He had 18 in 2024 in 119 total games across Double-A and Triple-A. In 2025, he had 18 total across Triple-A and the big leagues in 71 games in the majors and 58 games in Triple-A.

As he gets more comfortable in the big leagues, the homers are going to come. Anthony had eight in 71 games in 2025. Anthony was starting to figure it out before he got hurt in 2025. He had four of his eight homers in his final 13 games of the season. He was collecting doubles left and right to kick off his big league career with 18 doubles in the 71 games. Before he got hurt, he was starting to figure it out and get the ball out of the ballpark. From Passan's take, it sounds like there could be a lot more of that coming.

Passan's take on Anthony, and the specific effort to elevate the ball, should raise some eyebrows. Soon enough, the take on Boston having a lack of power could be squashed if Anthony takes a step forward.