Why Can't the Boston Red Sox Call Up Top Prospect Roman Anthony?

Anthony, who turns 21 on Tuesday, is the No. 1 prospect in baseball. His overall numbers and his underlying metrics suggest that he's ready for the big leagues, but he's still being stashed in Triple-A. Why?

Roman Anthony gets ready for an at-bat during a WooSox game on Aug. 28 at Polar Park. Anthony was recently named the No. 1 prospect in baseball by Baseball America. | WooSox Photo/Ashley Green / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Upon the recent graduation of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki, the top prospect of the Boston Red Sox, Roman Anthony, is the new No. 1 prospect in baseball.

About to turn 21, Anthony is a former second-round pick of the Red Sox in 2022. He's dominated the minor leagues to the tune of a .286 career average, and he's hitting .302 this season at Triple-A Worcester.

110.1 mph EV 🔥

MLB's No. 1 prospect Roman Anthony (@RedSox) sizzles his 4th-hardest hit base knock of the year for the Triple-A @WooSox. pic.twitter.com/9DeJQJ7RWm

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 11, 2025

He's also carrying a .423 on-base percentage and an .899 OPS, as he's got five homers, 17 RBIs and three stolen bases. His overall numbers and his underlying metrics suggest that he's ready for the big leagues, so why is he still in Triple-A?

The answer is really simple: It's roster construction, on a few different fronts.

The outfield is full

The Red Sox have Jarren Duran, who is the reigning All-Star Game MVP and one of the more exciting players in baseball. They also have Ceddanne Rafaela, a Gold Glove-caliber defender, and someone they recently signed to a $50 million extension. Plus, Wilyer Abreu is out there, and he's off to a fantastic start, hitting .279 with 10 homers and a .931 OPS.

There's simply no one to easily move, and that doesn't factor in bench player Rob Refsnyder's presence, as well as the injured Masataka Yoshida, who has $54 million remaining on his contract.

What about designated hitter?

As you've likely read by now, the Red Sox have fumbled this situation. Rafael Devers was moved from third base to designated hitter to accommodate the signing of Alex Bregman in the offseason. He doesn't want to move to first base now, meaning that the DH position is stuck. They already will have enough of a hassle on their hands when Yoshida comes back; they can't deal with the stress of finding Anthony at-bats too. Once Anthony comes up, they likely will want to keep him up for good, meaning he will need consistent playing time.

What should Boston have done?

The Red Sox went out and acquired Garrett Crochet this offseason, but maybe instead of signing Walker Buehler, they should have dealt an outfielder for a second pitcher to open up a spot for Anthony? Could they have traded Abreu somewhere, considering he's still on a cost-friendly rookie contract?

What if they hadn't signed Bregman? Devers could have remained at third and Anthony would have had another pathway to playing time, especially with Yoshida out.

So what's next?

In all likelihood, Anthony will have to wait for an injury, or for the team to decide that Rafaela's defense and big contract no longer warrant him playing every day. He's hitting .242 with an OPS+ of 86 entering play on Monday.

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