Ken Rosenthal Explains Why Roman Anthony Is In A Tough Spot With Red Sox

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Roman Anthony is only 21 years old and has just half a season of Major League experience under his belt. And yet, the Boston Red Sox are already counting on him to carry their lineup.

Fair or not, that's what the expectation is coming off his incredible rookie season. With Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman no longer around, the Red Sox are relying on Anthony to pick up the slack and keep performing at a high level, if not improve.

Is Boston asking too much of its young superstar? MLB insider Ken Rosenthal seems to think so.

"There's always pressure in Boston," Rosenthal said on Friday's episode of "Foul Territory." "We can't expect Roman Anthony to be David Ortiz. But in my opinion, they're kind of asking him, the franchise is, to be that kind of player, that kind of impact because of what they put around him."

"We can't expect Roman Anthony to be David Ortiz. But in my opinion, they're kind of asking him, the franchise is, to be that kind of player, that kind of impact because of what they put around him."@Ken_Rosenthal on the Red Sox and the pressure that's in Boston right now. pic.twitter.com/0VK9HRItGW

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) April 3, 2026

Anthony has a much tougher assignment than previous young Red Sox stars who joined veteran teams with established leaders and stars. He doesn't have a David Ortiz or a Dustin Pedroia to take the pressure off him. He has to be "the guy" right away, and that's not an easy thing to do. Not everyone is built for that, especially in a tough media market like Boston.

Based on Anthony's slow start, perhaps the pressure is getting to him a little bit. He seemed to be pressing on the Red Sox's rough opening road trip, striking out in half of his at-bats.

That's a big difference from the Anthony who dominated in the World Baseball Classic, where he was surrounded by stars and didn't have to carry the team.

Last year, Anthony had more help when he came up. But without Bregman and Devers, there's a lot more weight on his shoulders now, especially after signing his big extension last summer.

More MLB: Ex-Red Sox Star Xander Bogaerts Discusses Pressure On Roman Anthony

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