What Highly Touted Red Sox Prospect Credits For Stellar Ascension

Boston Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony wanted to check a lot of boxes this season.

And if the 19-year-old outfielder didn’t check off all of them, he came pretty close.

Anthony turned in a stellar season in the Red Sox farm system, moving up three levels as he finished the 2023 campaign with Double-A Portland. And with Anthony’s season wrapped up, plenty of accolades came his way with the Red Sox naming their 2022 second-round pick their minor league Offensive Player of the Year and Baseball America touting him as Boston’s Minor League Player of the Year.

Anthony told reporters prior to Tuesday’s contest against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park that he wasn’t shocked by his results as he feels he’s seen his game grow in nearly every area since last year.

“I think everything. I’ve improved at every aspect of the game, at least I’ve tried to,” Anthony told reporters, per WEEI’s Rob Bradford. “I’ve put in the work like I said in the offseason and tried to improve on everything I possibly could. I would say just continuing to try to improve on everything each day and learn more and more every day and get better at all aspects of the game.”

Anthony showed signs of promise last season after getting drafted, batting .306 with 12 RBIs in 20 games in the lower levels of the Red Sox system. But even that didn’t hint at the enormous leap he took this season, hitting .272 with 14 home runs and 64 RBIs to go along with 86 walks in 106 games across his three stops.

And Anthony, who is ranked as the No. 2 Red Sox prospect by MLB Pipeline, just didn’t credit any one thing for his ascension this season.

“I think just taking advantage of last offseason, being that it was my first offseason,” Anthony said. “Just trying to go in with a plan and be around guys who were exposed to major league ball or just different guys who have been through this before. Train as hard as I can and lean on guys around me as much as I can. Heading into spring training, learn as much as I can and lean off that.”

Anthony got called up to Portland in early September and if that level of baseball was supposed to pose a challenge to him, it sure didn’t look like it. Anthony batted a robust .343 with one homer and eight RBIs while also stealing three bases in 10 games.

That bodes well for Anthony, who looks to generate similar success next season as he eyes being a complete five-tool player.

“To me, it was the same game. I just went into it with that mentality,” Anthony said of his Double-A experience. “Like I said, it makes it easier when you have such a great group of guys around you, great manager, great staff there. I was just playing my same game, doing the same thing that got me there and I feel like I adjusted to it pretty well. Just happy I got a little taste of it going into next year, so I know what to expect.”