Roman Anthony Just Gave Red Sox Fans More Reasons to Love Him

Hard not to be impressed with everything Anthony says

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

Maybe Roman Anthony couldn't have raised his stock much more among Boston Red Sox fans, but on Thursday, he gave them even more reasons to become invested.

The Red Sox invested heavily in Anthony when they gave him a $130 million guaranteed extension last August. But their first time investing in him was the 2022 draft, when they offered him a first-round-level signing bonus of $2.5 million despite only taking him with the 79th overall pick (end of the second round).

Anthony recently discussed how that draft experience shaped his professional mentality in a wide-ranging Thursday interview with Chris Mason of MassLive. It seems the 21-year-old may carry a bit more of a chip on his shoulder than we might have previously been aware.

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Anthony doesn't think he was properly valued in draft

Sep 1, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Roman Anthony (19) scores a run on a ball by Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Parker Messick (77) (not pictured) during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

“Once I fell out of the first round and saw some of the guys who I had played against (selected), I took it personal,” Anthony told Mason.

Looking back, it's not hard to see how that perceived slight drove Anthony to dominate minor-league competition.

Apparently, scouts were a bit concerned about his swings and misses in high school, and in fairness, it's not as though his game is devoid of it now. But someone who whiffs a lot can still have elite-level plate discipline (Anthony does) and can hit hte ball very, very hard when they make contact.

Whether it was becoming the No. 1 prospect in baseball, or putting up an elite couple of months in the majors, or earning his extension, it seems that Anthony has relished the act of proving people wrong, which isn't immediately obvious when you listen to him talk on a day-to-day basis.

“You see the area scouts that for whatever reason told you that you weren’t a first-rounder and kinda just look at them now and you’re like, ‘Huh. I think you missed a little bit on that,’” Anthony told Mason. “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but for me, I was pissed off.”

After getting on the board with his first home run of the season against the Houston Astros on Wednesday, Anthony needs to get rolling for the Red Sox's bad start to turn around. Amid that context, it's fascinating to learn what fuels his desire to win.