Roman Anthony burst onto the scene last year for the Boston Red Sox, providing a spark with his midseason call-up that shifted the trajectory of the 2025 season for Boston. Now entering his second MLB season, Anthony is facing higher expectations for the first time in his career.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora recently announced that Anthony will be the teams’ everyday lead-off hitter. It’s a responsibility that includes getting the team off to a good start every night and getting more at-bats than anyone else on the team.
Anthony commented on the role change after a spring training game this weekend:
“Felt really comfortable in the lead-off spot last year,” Anthony said. “Ultimately just want to do anything to help the team win, and if that’s what [Cora] feels like gives us the best chance then I’m all for it.”
Anthony Excited to Hit in Lead-Off Spot This Season
Anthony only played 71 games as a rookie after being called up in June and then missing the final month of the season with an oblique injury, but even in a limited time, he showed exactly what he’s capable of. The Florida native hit .292 with eight home runs and 32 RBI while ripping 18 doubles and walking 40 times.
That high walk rate is something that may prove very valuable as a lead-off hitter. It proves that he has a keen eye for the zone, and even if he isn’t walking at as high of a rate, he’ll put up quality at-bats to start games.
“Yeah it’s a great spot, I think it’s something that I take with a lot of pride, getting the boys going, trying to get on base,” Anthony said. “If you can do some damage in that first inning or just score some runs… I think that’s huge in a baseball game, kind of changing the momentum. Just something I take pride in doing and I’m looking forward to it.
Any time you’re able to do damage or get out there and strike one early it changes the momentum of the game, changes the energy and the feel. It’s a huge at-bat and not one that I ever take for granted.”
Anthony Ready to Take Next Step in Development in 2026
There are a few advanced statistics that show exactly how elite Anthony is as a hitter.
In 2025, Anthony’s barrel rate was 15.5 percent; the MLB average was less than half of that, at 7.2 percent. He also had a whopping hard hit rate of 60.3 percent, over 23 percent higher than the MLB average of 37 percent. This is a guy who simply mashes the baseball, barrel or not, though his barrel does find the ball pretty dang often.
Another thing that stood out all of last season was his aforementioned high walk rate. It’s hard to put into words how impressive it is for a 21-year-old to have a 13 percent walk rate against MLB pitching; every at-bat he had last year felt like he was in control. Even his strikeouts took at least six pitches most of the time.
Anthony is not only one of the most talented young players in the game, but he’s also wise well beyond his years. The lead-off spot might just be the perfect role for him this season.
Roman Anthony Reacts to Alex Cora’s Big Red Sox Lineup Decision