Red Sox 20-Year-Old Outfield Phenom Is Baseball's New No. 1 Prospect

The kid looks poised to hit the big leagues before he turns 21...

WooSox outfielder Roman Anthony runs off the field following his team's 2-1 win over Lehigh Valley on Aug. 14 at Polar Park. / WooSox Photo/Ashley Green / USA TODAY NETWORK

It's officially official. The Boston Red Sox have the number-one prospect in Major League Baseball.

The Red Sox have been overhauling their farm system for the past half-decade, particularly the position players. They went from having one of the least exciting pipelines in the sport to a prospect Murderer's Row.

Now, one of their crown jewels has earned the highest honor a prospect can have.

When Baseball America released their final in-season rankings of the 2024 season at the start of September, 20-year-old outfielder Roman Anthony ranked second overall, his highest ranking from any prospect evaluator. Thanks to a graduation, Anthony now reigns supreme.

BA's updated rankings not only have Anthony first overall, but shortstop Marcelo Mayer joined him in the top 10, at No. 10 overall. Two more Triple-A position players, infielder Kristian Campbell and catcher Kyle Teel, ranked 24th and 25th, respectively.

Anthony took over the top spot thanks to Tampa Bay Rays infielder Junior Caminero passing the 130 at-bat threshold in the majors, the cutoff to maintain prospect eligibility. Other prospects who held number-one rankings that graduated this season include Paul Skenes and Jackson Holliday.

The young star outfielder's rise through the Boston system has been meteoric, as he was drafted only two years ago, and now finds himself on the doorstep of the big leagues. He climbed from Low-A to Double-A in 2023, then earned the promotion to Triple-A in mid-August.

In 25 games with Triple-A Worcester, Anthony is slashing .340/.419/.530 with three home runs, eight doubles, and 25 runs scored. He's over six years younger than the average Triple-A player, but no pitcher he's faced seems to be capable of slowing him down.

The Red Sox have one of the youngest and most talented outfields in MLB, but Anthony's ceiling appears higher than anyone's. He's going to make it a difficult decision for the front office whether to bring him up or send him back to the minors at the beginning of 2025.

More MLB: Red Sox Ace Reportedly Dealing With 'Dead Arm,' Could Miss Crucial Yankees Start