- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 968,431
- Reaction score
- 57
BOSTON — Roman’s reign has begun.
A few hours before the Boston Red Sox opened a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays Monday, the club called up top prospect Roman Anthony from Triple-A Worcester.
Originally scheduled to travel with the WooSox to Lehigh Valley for a six-game series in Pennsylvania, the 21-year-old outfielder received word a little before 4 p.m. that instead of boarding the WooSox team bus he was headed 45 miles east to join the Boston Red Sox.
Surprise.
“From there on out, it’s been a little bit of a blur,” Anthony told the media in a pregame scrum inside the Red Sox dugout. “But it was amazing. You dream of that every single day, so to finally hear it, it was awesome.”
Anthony started in right field and batted fifth for the Red Sox against the Rays. As the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder walked to the plate for his first at-bat Monday, the Fenway Faithful rose to their feet to cheer on the No. 1 prospect in baseball — and player many fans were clamoring to get called up to Boston.
“You blank out and then you got to get in the box and just lock in,” said Anthony, who flew out to left field in his first plate appearance. “It was great, obviously, to see how these passionate fans are but it was an awesome experience I’ll never forget.”
“It was a special moment,” Mayer said.
Boston’s starting lineup Monday featured the organization’s top three prospects (all under the age of 23) entering the 2025 season in Anthony (21), Kristian Campbell (22) and Marcelo Mayer (22).
After Campbell began the season with the Red Sox out of spring training, and Mayer was called up to Boston on May 24, Anthony was the last of Boston’s “Big 3” prospects to follow suit and make his big-league debut.
“It’ll be fun to have them all together,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said in a pregame interview with WEEI.
“I know he’s going to fit right in,” Mayer said.
Anthony’s ascension to the big leagues comes just 16 days after his former roommate and teammate in Worcester Mayer was promoted to Boston. Anthony, the 79th pick by the Red Sox in the 2022 draft, planted a big hug on his best friend when he made it into the Red Sox clubhouse prior to the game.
“We’ve had a lot of these talks throughout the years,” Mayer told NESN pregame. “So I’m super excited for him.”
A similar sound bite to what Anthony had to say after Mayer’s big-league promotion.
“(It’s) something that we talked about so much, every night wondering when it was going to happen,” Anthony told the T&G on May 25. “So for it to happen ... it’s awesome. It’s something I’ll never forget. So I was so proud of him.”
Following his own promotion from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester last August, Anthony hit .344 with3 home runs, 20 RBIs and 33 runs in 35 games with the WooSox. The smooth-swinging, left-handed hitter then slashed .288/.423/.914 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs through 58 Triple-A games this spring.
On Saturday, just six days after a video of Anthony riding in a laundry cart to avoid signing autographs went viral, the Florida native clobbered a 497-foot home run over the right-center field wall at Polar Park.
The majestic shot, which was also a grand slam, marked the farthest hit ball in affiliate baseball this season.
“That ball was murdered,” WooSox manager Chad Tracy told the T&G Saturday night.
Two days later, Anthony began his major league career by going 0 for 4 with a walk and RBI in the Red Sox’ 10-8 loss to the Rays in 11 innings. Anthony also made an error in right field.
Making his own big-league debut Monday was former St. John’s pitcher Ian Seymour, who picked up the win for the visitors from Tampa. The 26-year-old left-hander from Westborough allowed one run, two walks and struck out two across 28 pitches and two innings.
But with all eyes on Roman Anthony, however, after the Red Sox finally promoted the No. 1 prospect in baseball, Roman’s reign officially has begun in Boston.
“He’s a big-leaguer, and nobody is going to take that away from him,” Mayer said. “I was just super excited to see him live out his dream.”
“It was awesome to be here,” Anthony said.
—Contact Tommy Cassell at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Red Sox top prospect Roman Anthony makes MLB debut at Fenway Park
Continue reading...
A few hours before the Boston Red Sox opened a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays Monday, the club called up top prospect Roman Anthony from Triple-A Worcester.
Originally scheduled to travel with the WooSox to Lehigh Valley for a six-game series in Pennsylvania, the 21-year-old outfielder received word a little before 4 p.m. that instead of boarding the WooSox team bus he was headed 45 miles east to join the Boston Red Sox.
Surprise.
“From there on out, it’s been a little bit of a blur,” Anthony told the media in a pregame scrum inside the Red Sox dugout. “But it was amazing. You dream of that every single day, so to finally hear it, it was awesome.”
You must be registered for see images attach
Anthony started in right field and batted fifth for the Red Sox against the Rays. As the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder walked to the plate for his first at-bat Monday, the Fenway Faithful rose to their feet to cheer on the No. 1 prospect in baseball — and player many fans were clamoring to get called up to Boston.
“You blank out and then you got to get in the box and just lock in,” said Anthony, who flew out to left field in his first plate appearance. “It was great, obviously, to see how these passionate fans are but it was an awesome experience I’ll never forget.”
“It was a special moment,” Mayer said.
Boston’s starting lineup Monday featured the organization’s top three prospects (all under the age of 23) entering the 2025 season in Anthony (21), Kristian Campbell (22) and Marcelo Mayer (22).
After Campbell began the season with the Red Sox out of spring training, and Mayer was called up to Boston on May 24, Anthony was the last of Boston’s “Big 3” prospects to follow suit and make his big-league debut.
You must be registered for see images
“It’ll be fun to have them all together,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said in a pregame interview with WEEI.
“I know he’s going to fit right in,” Mayer said.
Anthony’s ascension to the big leagues comes just 16 days after his former roommate and teammate in Worcester Mayer was promoted to Boston. Anthony, the 79th pick by the Red Sox in the 2022 draft, planted a big hug on his best friend when he made it into the Red Sox clubhouse prior to the game.
“We’ve had a lot of these talks throughout the years,” Mayer told NESN pregame. “So I’m super excited for him.”
You must be registered for see images
A similar sound bite to what Anthony had to say after Mayer’s big-league promotion.
“(It’s) something that we talked about so much, every night wondering when it was going to happen,” Anthony told the T&G on May 25. “So for it to happen ... it’s awesome. It’s something I’ll never forget. So I was so proud of him.”
Following his own promotion from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester last August, Anthony hit .344 with3 home runs, 20 RBIs and 33 runs in 35 games with the WooSox. The smooth-swinging, left-handed hitter then slashed .288/.423/.914 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs through 58 Triple-A games this spring.
You must be registered for see images
On Saturday, just six days after a video of Anthony riding in a laundry cart to avoid signing autographs went viral, the Florida native clobbered a 497-foot home run over the right-center field wall at Polar Park.
The majestic shot, which was also a grand slam, marked the farthest hit ball in affiliate baseball this season.
“That ball was murdered,” WooSox manager Chad Tracy told the T&G Saturday night.
Two days later, Anthony began his major league career by going 0 for 4 with a walk and RBI in the Red Sox’ 10-8 loss to the Rays in 11 innings. Anthony also made an error in right field.
You must be registered for see images attach
Making his own big-league debut Monday was former St. John’s pitcher Ian Seymour, who picked up the win for the visitors from Tampa. The 26-year-old left-hander from Westborough allowed one run, two walks and struck out two across 28 pitches and two innings.
But with all eyes on Roman Anthony, however, after the Red Sox finally promoted the No. 1 prospect in baseball, Roman’s reign officially has begun in Boston.
You must be registered for see images
“He’s a big-leaguer, and nobody is going to take that away from him,” Mayer said. “I was just super excited to see him live out his dream.”
“It was awesome to be here,” Anthony said.
—Contact Tommy Cassell at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Red Sox top prospect Roman Anthony makes MLB debut at Fenway Park
Continue reading...
