Roman Anthony Has Simple Message on Becoming Face of the Red Sox

Few would dispute that this is Anthony's team now...

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

Pressure. That's the word that comes to mind when describing year two for Roman Anthony on the Boston Red Sox.

No 21-year-old is supposed to be ready to be the face of a big-market team like the Red Sox, but that's what Anthony has appeared to be from the day he first entered the lineup. And after he starred in the World Baseball Classic, Anthony is an even more well-known commodity than expected going into his first full season with the club.

Expectations are high, not only because the Red Sox expect to improve on last year's 89-73 record, but because Anthony got an eight-year, $130 million extension last summer. He's also coming off missing the last month of the regular season and the playoffs due to injury.

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Anthony describes mindset on dealing with year two expectations

Aug 21, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Roman Anthony (19) hits a two run home run in the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

In a Wednesday interview with Tim Healey of The Boston Globe, Anthony stressed that he wasn't going to change anything about the way he went about his business in the wake of his contract, or indeed, the weight of the expectations he's shouldering heading into the spring.

“It doesn’t change anything that happens for me,” Anthony told Healey. “Pressure or expectations, it’s only as big as you make it, right? I understand the way that (manager Alex Cora) looks at me and believes in me, and the way that (chief baseball officer Craig Breslow) and the front office and people invested in me and the guys around me — we believe in each other so much that nobody’s putting pressure on me.

“Nothing has really changed — before I got the contract, after I got the contract. The way I play, the way I approach things, it’s the same thing. I’m just playing a game that I love in a city that I love.”

Anthony's supporting cast isn't weak by any means, but it's hard to know who else the Red Sox can count on in the lineup on a daily basis. There could be stretches of the season where he legitimately needs to carry the load.

Saying all the right things seems to be Anthony's baseline, so it's no surprise the way he's taking the expectations in stride. But we'll still be watching his play closely at the start of the season, just to make sure he's not pressing.