The Boston Red Sox are loaded with young stars, several of whom already appear destined for great careers.
Red Sox rookie Roman Anthony is one of them. Over his first 62 games, the 21-year-old outfielder has quickly emerged as one of the best players in baseball, drawing comparisons to Ted Williams, Juan Soto and others.
Anthony is incredibly polished for a player his age, batting .279/.395/.437 (132 OPS+) with 24 extra-base hits, 38 walks, 42 runs and 2.5 WAR since debuting on June 9.
The sky’s the limit for the former top prospect, who signed an eight-year, $130 million extension with Boston earlier this month. Given his age and experience, he might keep getting better.
Accordingly, Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story wouldn’t be surprised if Anthony becomes a full-blown superstar someday.
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Story praised Anthony during a pregame interview with ESPN prior to Boston’s 7-2 loss to the New York Yankees on Sunday Night Baseball. “He could potentially be the face of baseball,” Story said.
That’s high praise for Anthony, who has the potential to reach that level if he stays on his current trajectory.
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Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are considered the faces of baseball right now, but both are in their early 30s. They’ll likely drop off a bit in the next few years, opening the door for Anthony to become a marquee star if he keeps improving.
It’s been a few years since the Red Sox had a legitimate candidate for the face of baseball. Mookie Betts and David Ortiz were the most recent ones, but Betts was overshadowed by Mike Trout during his Boston days and Ortiz didn’t play the field.
Anthony’s a great player who plays for a good team in a big market, so that makes him a strong contender. If he can have some big moments in the postseason, his case will be even more compelling.
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Featured image via Brian Fluharty/Imagn Images
