February 11, 2025

In 119 games between Double-A and Triple-A in 2024, Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony slashed .291/.396/.498 with 18 home runs and 54 extra-base hits. The combination of contact, plate discipline, power, speed, and defense make him a true five-category asset. Starting with his contact and approach at the plate, Anthony starts with his hands and a slightly open stance. He uses a leg kick to create quite a wide stance but helps create good hand-to-hip separation. Leading with his body, Anthony creates good lag with the bat thanks to his strong hands and electric bat speed. His bat speed ranks at the very top of all hitters in baseball. Given the bat speed, the power metrics are off the charts, though, as Anthony has a 90th percentile exit velocity near 109 mph. Topping out north of 116 mph and showing solid average exit velocities, Anthony easily shows plus or better power. The biggest flaw with the power is a ground ball rate just shy of 48 percent which is something to watch. The plate discipline skills are impressive, and Anthony knows the strike zone as well as anyone. He chased just 21 percent of pitches out of the zone. The contact skills follow along right with the discipline, as Anthony posted a 75 percent overall contact rate with an 83 percent in-zone mark. Anthony may not make the team out of spring training but expect him to get the call to the show in May. Providing power and speed and having a high floor thanks to his plate discipline and contact skills, his 297 ADP on NFBC is quite palatable.--Chris Clegg