The Boston Red Sox have been without star outfielder Roman Anthony since May 4 due to a finger/hand/wrist injury. And while it's clear that they will greatly benefit from his eventual return (whenever that ends up happening), Anthony's presence alone isn't going to change the fact that this Red Sox team isn't built to hit dingers, which is going to be a big problem if they are serious about potentially making a playoff push.
The Red Sox are not a powerful offensive team
Over two months into the season, Boston is the only team that hasn't cracked 50 home runs yet (it's currently at 49, four fewer than the 29th-place Tampa Bay Rays), according to MLB.com. The team also has the fifth-worst SLG (.376) and sixth-worst OPS (.690).
The Red Sox have shown some flashes of being a solid hitting team (they haven't been shut out since their 4-0 loss against the New York Yankees on Apr. 21, and their .265 BA in May was second-best in the majors, only behind the Rays' .271). However, they're not a team that instills fear in their opponents.
They do a solid job of making contact and getting on base, but that's clearly not good enough for them to become a real threat (they're 27-37 and own the worst record in the AL East despite having one of the best pitching staffs this season). Everybody knew this would be a problem when they traded Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants last season, and it may be even worse than we had all anticipated.
Willson Contreras (13) and Jarren Duran (10) are the only two Red Sox with double-digit home runs this season. They're both solid hitters and real assets in Boston's lineup. But if these are your two best power hitters, you're in some pretty big trouble.
Roman Anthony won't fix all of Boston's home run problems
Anthony has the talent and potential to be the Red Sox' best hitter because of his ability to get on base and hit home runs at a high level. However, in 366 career at-bats, the Florida native has only hit nine home runs. It's fair to assume he will only get better from here on out once he has more reps and development, but if Boston is looking to him to be its savior on offense, then it has another thing coming.
The Red Sox could also make a trade ahead of August's deadline to get a big bat, and according to the latest reports, they're "aggressively looking" to make that happen.
“What I’ve heard today is, it’s not just that they are looking for a right-handed hitter. They are aggressively looking for a right-handed hitter and signaling to the industry, ‘Look, we’re willing to take on money. We’re willing to take on a lot of money,’” ESPN’s Buster Olney said on 'Just Baseball Media.'
Whether this will come to fruition or not, we'll see. But it's far and away the Red Sox' best option if they're serious about turning things around this season. Because, while he will be a big help, it's way too much pressure to put on a 22-year-old to expect him to bail them out.
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