A seemingly harmless plate appearance in the Rays-Phillies game produced a seismic shift in the prospect world, as rookie Rays infielder Junior Caminero exceeded his prospect eligibility with his 130th MLB at-bat. The graduation opened the door for Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony to officially become Baseball America’s number one overall prospect.
The 2022 second-round pick burst onto the scene last season by slashing .294/.412/.569 with 12 home runs at High-A Greenville before hitting .343 in ten games at Double-A Portland. What made those numbers even more impressive was that he did it all as a 19-year-old, displaying an advanced approach despite being younger than nearly every pitcher he faced.
Anthony got off to a slow start this season as he battled the cold Maine spring, but eventually heated up with the summer and earned an August promotion to Triple-A Worcester. In 25 games, Anthony has hit a scalding .340/.419/.530, allowing him to jump up to the number two spot in Baseball America’s lone in-season update.
Though the Red Sox have a crowded outfield, Anthony is knocking on the door of an MLB promotion, and even if he doesn’t get the call this season, the sweet-swinging outfielder should have every opportunity to win a job out of spring training in 2025.
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WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
Photo Credit: Worcester Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony connects for a double in his first at-bat at Polar Park. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
