The Boston Red Sox have shown flashes of being a very good team in April. But their 16-14 record through 30 games is underwhelming for a team that came into the year with playoff expectations. Some of those expectations are tied to the presence of their "Big 3" prospects. One of them, Kristian Campbell, has already begun to make a name for himself in the big leagues. Now, it may be time for one of the other Big 3 to join him on the Major League roster
Roman Anthony entered the year as the consensus top prospect in Boston's system and a top-2 prospect in the sport. He has proven to be worthy of those lofty rankings while dominating in Triple-A for the WooSox. Through April 27th, Anthony is slashing .313/.451/.588 with five home runs in 23 games.
A recent shoulder injury forced Anthony into a temporary DH-only role, but that has been the only hiccup in an otherwise stellar start to his season. The organization is understandably being cautious with its top prospect. But as the calendar turns to May and we begin to think about the playoff race, it will become harder to ignore Anthony's presence in Triple-A. The time has come for him to graduate from a prospect to a Major Leaguer.
Roman Anthony Needs to Be Called Up Before the End of May
The only issue with promoting Roman Anthony right now is that there may not seem to be an immediate hole on the roster. Anthony is a natural outfielder, and that's not exactly a position of need. Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu have both solidified themselves as quality starting outfielders. Ceddanne Rafaela is the weak link, but his offensive performance has ticked up slightly in his sophomore year, to go along with his elite defense.
Barring injury, the most likely roster move to accommodate Roman Anthony would involve a demotion for utility man David Hamilton. Hamilton emerged as a surprising contributor to the 2024 Red Sox, but has struggled woefully with a .067 batting average through his first 32 plate appearances this year. Demoting Hamilton in favor of Anthony would likely push Rafaela back into the super utility role that he occupied for much of 2024. This would allow the Sox to deploy an everyday outfield of Anthony, Duran, and Abreu, with Rafaela and Rob Refsnyder available off the bench.
Boston has been wise not to rush its top prospects to the Major League roster. But, in a crowded AL East, they may not be able to afford to keep Roman Anthony's bat out of the lineup for much longer.