The Boston Red Sox are playing .500 baseball to begin the 2025 MLB season, sitting at a 10-10 record through the first 20 games. Even though it hasn't been the most dominant performance so far, Red Sox fans are still encouraged by the club's outlook, especially Boston's promising prospect pipeline.
After all, the Red Sox opened the new season with three of the best prospects in baseball: Roman Anthony (No. 2), Kristian Campbell (No. 6), and Marcelo Mayer (No. 11). Campbell hasn't wasted any time becoming a mainstay in Alex Cora's lineup, culminating in a $60 million extension to begin the month, while Anthony and Mayer have both found success in the minors.
As great as Mayer has been playing, Anthony has stolen the show with Triple-A Worcester, leaving Red Sox fans to wonder when he'll make his eventual MLB debut.
Red Sox Making All the Right Decisions Amid Roman Anthony's Injury
As great as it'd be to see Anthony crushing home runs in big-league ballparks, Red Sox fans will likely have to wait a little longer for the top prospect's MLB debut.
Red Sox insider Chris Cotillo and Chris Henrique reported early this week that Anthony is dealing with "shoulder soreness," resulting in Worcester using him as the designated hitter since Apr. 11.
According to Cotillo, Boston is trying to be "cautious" with the situation and won't promote the outfield prospect until his recovery has made significant progress.
"Anthony is not going to get called up before getting back in the swing of things defensively at Triple-A," Cotillo wrote. "The Red Sox want him to play every day in the OF when he does get promoted."
Reading between the lines: Anthony is not going to get called up before getting back in the swing of things defensively at Triple-A, obviously. Red Sox want him to play every day in the OF when he does get promoted. https://t.co/lpiJPiCKJp
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) April 17, 2025
On one hand, some Red Sox fans are likely disappointed that Anthony won't be shifting to the majors anytime soon. The 20-year-old OF is killing it with four home runs, 12 RBIs, and 14 walks while slashing .283/.433/.585 in his first 15 games (53 at-bats) with Worcester, which includes Thursday's two-HR performance against Rochester.
That's the type of offensive weapon the Red Sox could use as they're only averaging 4.3 runs (14th) and 0.85 homers (21st) per game this season.
On the other hand, the Red Sox's resistance to promote the red-hot prospect should be admired. As fun as it'd be seeing Anthony crank ball after ball out of Fenway Park, he'll be most useful to Cora & Co. when he can fully handle outfield duties, especially since Rafael Devers already has the DH role locked down.
Keeping Anthony in the minors to regain his defensive confidence is smart, as the Red Sox don't want to botch his development. The Palm Beach, FL native is one of the franchise's most promising prospects in a long time, and the last thing the Red Sox need is to force him into a situation he isn't ready to handle.
For now, Red Sox fans will watch Anthony's development from afar, hoping he can eventually play a significant role in the majors at some point in 2025.