Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is widely seen as the top prospect in MLB. The 21-year-old has been crushing the minors this year, posting a .316 average with six home runs over 196 plate appearances. He’s also showing great discipline at the plate, with a 19.9% walk rate and an equal 19.9% strikeout rate.
Even though there’s not much left for him to prove in Triple-A, Anthony hasn’t been called up to Boston yet. That led manager Alex Cora to be honest about why the young outfielder is still waiting.
Alex Cora Expresses Patience With Red Sox Top Prospect Roman Anthony
Cora stated he “understands where you’re coming from” when referring to those wondering when Anthony and Marcelo Mayer will join the Red Sox after strong starts in Triple-A. The Red Sox manager says that while the prospects have been impressive, “we are where we’re at. Right now, we’ve got some guys here that are playing great baseball. We understand that at one point, I do believe they’re going to be part of this. But as of right now, we haven’t made that decision.”
Alex Cora said about Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer on March 28, "They’re gonna push us to make decisions."
Asked Cora today about how much more Anthony needs to push the Red Sox and what else does he need to do citing his .970 OPS at Worcester.
"I understand where you're…— Christopher Smith (@SmittyOnMLB)
Cora’s message is clear: the team’s veterans are producing. In left field, Jarren Duran has that spot locked down. In right field, Wilyer Abreu is off to a strong start with 11 homers in just 189 plate appearances.
Moving Anthony or Abreu to center field could be an option, but Ceddanne Rafaela is an elite defender. The possibilities are limited, with Rafael Devers locked in as the designated hitter since the Red Sox aren’t playing him on the field. That was made even more evident when they signed third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency, and chose not to slide Devers to first after Triston Casas went down for the year.
But there is a recent development with stud rookie second baseman Kristian Campbell taking reps at first base:
First Base Coach/Infield Instructor José Flores mic’d up as Kristian Campbell continues his work at first base 👀 pic.twitter.com/YtnTKGsXCh
— NESN (@NESN) May 21, 2025
If Campbell moves to first, the Red Sox could slide Rafaela to second and make room for Anthony in center. Another option would be calling up top prospect Marcelo Mayer to play second base instead.
This seems like the more likely move. Rafaela is too good a defender in center, so unless his bat completely falls apart, he’ll likely keep playing.
The more you look at the Red Sox roster, the more you think it will take an injury for Anthony to join the team. Red Sox fans would be wise to stay patient, like Cora suggested.