Things are starting to take shape for the 2026 MLB season, and the Boston Red Sox are thought to be true contenders in the AL East, which will likely be the most competitive division in baseball.
Last year, the Red Sox called up their prized prospect, Roman Anthony, and then inked him to a nine-year, $130 million contract before Anthony had even played 100 games in MLB. However, that contract could end up being a steal if Anthony ends up being an MVP-caliber player, which is plausible.
On Saturday, the Red Sox made a notable Roman Anthony announcement that will impact the team in the regular season.
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Roman Anthony Will Head Leadoff in 2026
Alex Cora announced on Saturday that Roman Anthony will hit leadoff in 2026 for the Boston Red Sox team.
His reasoning was very cut and dry as to why Anthony will see the first pitch of every game for this new-ish look Red Sox offense:
“It can be 1-0 very quick or it’s a quality at-bat,” manager Alex Cora said.
Anthony is just 21-years-old, but he enjoyed a breakout rookie season in just 71 games played.
GettyRed Sox’s Roman Anthony
In those 71 games, Anthony posted a 3.1 bWAR with eight home runs, 32 RBI, a .292 average, and a 140 OPS+.
Those are stellar numbers for a rookie, and those could look even better if Anthony didn’t go down with an oblique injury in September, which shut him down for the rest of the ’25 season.
In 2025, Anthony was the leadoff hitter 27 times, so he’s certainly familiar with being the first man up in the orderm but this will be a big development in his career.
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Roman Anthony Will Hit Lead-Off in Red Sox’ Grapefruit League Opener
Spring training is finally here in MLB! And Roman Anthony will get a taste of his new role in Saturday’s contest, where he will hit leadoff against the Minnesota Twins.
Anthony will likely only get two at-bats or so before he’s removed from the game, but with this announcement, there’s no reason to shift him around in the lineup.
Alex Cora also mentioned Mookie Betts and George Springer as being prominent leadoff hitters in MLB, and sees similarities with Anthony.
Cora also noted back in January that Willson Contreras will hit cleanup for Boston. One can assume Jarren Duran and Trevor Story might be frontrunners for hitting either second or third in the Red Sox lineup, but that is still to be determined.
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