Red Sox 20-Year-Old Phenom Narrowly Predicted To Miss Out On Opening Day Roster

This future star will make his impact soon enough...

Feb 28, 2025; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (48) is congratulated after he scored a run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox have a problem, but it's an encouraging one.

Boston's "big three" prospects--outfielder Roman Anthony, utility man Kristian Campbell, and shortstop Marcelo Mayer--are all approaching big-league readiness. Unfortunately, their arrival will mean less playing time for the Red Sox's regulars, possibly even necessitating a trade or two.

Let's focus on Anthony for a moment. He's widely considered to be the number-one position player prospect in Major League Baseball, but as ready as he's looked to make his big-league debut, he's entering a crowded outfield picture, with prohibitive starters Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu lining up from left field to right.

So with only 11 days to go before the Red Sox kick off the regular season in Arlington, Tex., what are Anthony's chances to force his way onto the Opening Day roster? One insider doesn't love his chances at the moment.

On Sunday, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald (subscription required) projected that Anthony would narrowly miss out on making his debut on Opening Day, thanks in part to some hints gleaned from manager Alex Cora's roster hints on Saturday.

"Two things happened that made me reconsider (projecting Anthony to make the team)," Cerullo wrote. "One, Campbell got the start again alongside Story, leading me to believe he might have the better chance of the two top prospects to make the Opening Day roster. And two, we spoke to Cora for more than 15 minutes, and during that time he spoke in depth about his plans for the outfield and where everyone fits in.

"He didn’t mention Anthony’s name once. Anthony’s time will come, but for now it feels like the responsible thing to do is assume the plan is to stick with the status quo. That’s Duran in left, Rafaela in center, Abreu in right and (Rob) Refsnyder off the bench."

Anthony, who doesn't turn 21 until May, has looked like a seasoned veteran in spring training competition. He's 6-for-20 so far with a .440 on-base percentage in camp, and those stats don't include the 435-foot blast he hit in the Spring Breakout exhibition game Thursday night.

When Anthony arrives, though, multiple players are going to lose out on playing time, with Rafaela, Abreu, and Masataka Yoshida particularly in peril. If the youngster earns it, though, the Red Sox can't dare to complain.

Now, it's just a wait to find out when exactly Anthony gets his shot.

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