For the Boston Red Sox the month of May has been a nightmare. On April 30, they were in second place in the American League East at 17-15, just 1 1/2 games behind the first place New York Yankees.
Heading into their May 30 matchup against the Atlanta Braves, the Red Sox have lost five in a row and have slumped to 27-31, 9 1/2 games behind the Yankees in fourth place.
The team that scored more runs in April (148) than any other team in the Major Leagues, scored the 11th-most in May (111). They also rank 11th in May OPS (.728) after posting the third-highest (.786) in April.
The Red Sox on the season have struggled to hit with runners in scoring position, with a .237 batting average, 21st in MLB. Clearly, the Boston offense needs a shot in the arm.
All Red Sox Eyes Turn to Roman Anthony
As it happens, they have the No. 1-ranked prospect in baseball at the Triple-A level. Roman Anthony, a 21-year-old 2022 second-round draft pick out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, would appear to have nothing left to prove at the minor league level.
The Red Sox took Anthony with the 79th overall pick in 2022, a selection awarded to Boston as compensation when lefty pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez signed with the Detroit Tigers as a free agent.
In 84 games and 386 plate appearances for the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, Anthony has put up a .980 OPS with 11 home runs, 21 doubles and three triples.
Drilling down to his Statcast metrics, Anthony looks even more impressive. He has a hard-hit percentage of 69, placing him in the 96th percentile of all hitters. His barreled ball percentage is 21.1, the 97th percentile.
.325 BA 8 HR 22 RBI .993 OPS
115.5 MPH on leadoff HR on Tuesday
Not surprisingly, given the Red Sox nosedive in May, the team’s fan base has been clamoring for Anthony to get a call-up to Boston. Team officials have been reluctant to comment on the reasons why Anthony is still in the minor leagues — even as the other two members of Boston’s “big three” prospects — Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell — have joined the big league club.
Cora Struggles to Explain Why Anthony Remains at AAA
On Thursday, however, manager Alex Cora finally offered some sort of an explanation for why Anthony remains stashed in Worcester, while at the same time appearing to acknowledge that the top prospect is ready for the big show.
“I know at some point Roman is going to be here,” Cora said, speaking on WEEI Radio. “The timing is something, as an organization, we’re going to decide when. Obviously, he’s doing an outstanding job. He’s getting better. He’s not knocking at the door, he’s knocking it down, let’s be honest.”
On Wednesday, chief of baseball operations Craig Breslow appeared to say that Anthony was not yet a fully formed hitter, telling the Boston Globe, the top prospect had “a few development opportunities that we want to make sure we lock in.”
Then, speaking via WEEI on Thursday, Breslow seemed to be singing a different tune, saying that Anthony was still “getting comfortable in left field.”
The Red Sox CBO also said that Anthony was “working on some things at the plate, despite the fact that the stat lines are going to scream otherwise.”
Finally, Breslow said that the Red Sox did want to subject Anthony to “pressure,” telling WEEI that he was “mindful of the environment that Roman would be coming into, and the pressure that we could potentially be putting on a 21-year-old, in the midst of a losing streak, to come up and save the team.”
“The bottom line is that the Red Sox need an offensive upgrade, and that upgrade is clearly Roman Anthony,” wrote Heavy Sports‘ Matthew Kaimer on Thursday. “If this team has any desire to make a playoff push, Anthony must be a focal part of it.”
Red Sox Manager Alex Cora Breaks Silence on Roman Anthony Call-Up