The Boston Red Sox have called up their top prospect, 21-year-old outfielder Roma Anthony, just two days after he launched a massive 497-foot grand slam for Triple-A Worcester. Anthony is set to bat fifth and play right field, debuting alongside fellow rookie standouts Christian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer in Boston’s season opener against Tampa Bay on Monday night. This move coincides with Wilyer Abreu being placed on the injured list.
Selected as the second pick in the 2022 amateur draft and given a $2.5 million signing bonus, Anthony has posted a .288 batting average with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs over 58 games this season. While there are some short-term performance concerns—mainly about his sometimes overly passive approach in Triple-A—his long-term potential remains highly promising. MLB.com, Baseball America, and Baseball Prospectus all rank him as a top prospect.
Anthony’s grand slam, his second of the season, broke a 9-4 tie in the eighth inning by sending a 91.1 mph sinker from Carlos Romero over the right-center field wall. Notably, this was the longest home run recorded on Statcast this year across the Major League, Triple-A, and Class A Florida State League. Since Statcast’s inception in 2015, only a few players—including Nomar Mazara, Giancarlo Stanton, CJ Cron, and Christian Yelich—have hit home runs exceeding 490 feet.
— Report by Associated Press
Fan Take: Roma Anthony’s call-up signals exciting young talent entering the Red Sox lineup, bringing fresh energy and power to the team. Baseball fans should watch closely as his performance could shape the future of the franchise and add thrilling moments to the Major League season.
