Red Sox Star Under Pressure to Deliver After Jeff Passan's New Prediction

Everyone is showing Roman Anthony major respect...

Aug 17, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Roman Anthony (19) runs onto the field for warmups prior to a game against the Miami Marlins at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Everywhere Roman Anthony looks this year, he's bound to find lofty expectations.

The Boston Red Sox are counting on Anthony to carry their offense in his first full major league season. Team USA is counting on him to help deliver a World Baseball Classic title. And it's gotten to the point where if he repeated last year's statistics, it might qualify as a disappointment.

On Wednesday, ESPN named its Top 100 Major League Baseball players for the upcoming season, with analysis from site experts and insiders. Not only did Anthony land in an eye-popping spot on the list, but insider Jeff Passan heaped even loftier expectations on him.

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Can Anthony hit 30-plus homers this year?

Aug 16, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Roman Anthony (19) runs to third base during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Passan's projected stat line for Anthony this season was so gaudy that Red Sox fans might want to make sure they're sitting down before scrolling down to read it.

"It takes a particular sort of player to go from his rookie season to the top 5% of big leaguers, and the 21-year-old Anthony more than qualifies," Passan wrote. "He's the best hitter on the (Red Sox) by a considerable margin, hitting the ball harder on average than anyone other than Oneil Cruz, (Aaron) Judge, and (Shohei) Ohtani last year, while walking at an elite rate.

"Season prediction: .286/.391/.538 with 31 home runs, 116 runs and 84 RBIs."

Yes, that's a .929 OPS, which would have ranked seventh in the majors last season between Juan Soto and Ketel Marte. If Anthony were to do that and play the same caliber of defense he did as a rookie, he'd instantly be a top-five Most Valuable Player finisher.

Any Red Sox fan who watched more than a few games of Anthony in action last season knows he's capable of a season like that already. But it's the weight of the expectations that continues to steadily pile up on his shoulders that could start to create concern.

Once the regular season starts, Bostonians just have to hope Anthony can tune everything out and play freely, like he's still in the minors. If he comes close to hitting his ceiling, this Red Sox team will be an extremely dangerous contender.