Article: A Review of Roman Anthony's First MLB Series With the Red Sox

[Finley Rogan]

Roman Anthony made his long-awaited MLB debut this week against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Anthony started all three games of the series in right field while hitting fifth in the lineup. The excitement was palpable, as fans gave Anthony a standing ovation during his first time at the plate.

Overall, it was a decent series for Anthony. He recorded one hit, one walk, and three strikeouts in 13 plate appearances. Anthony had a bad error in right field in game one of the series, but he made up for it the next night with a great catch on a fly ball that had only a 25% catch probability.

What impressed me the most with Anthony were the at-bats that he took. Early on, he has an impressive whiff rate at just 16.7%, which is well above league average, and demonstrates the elite discipline he possesses at the plate. He saw about 3.5 pitches per plate appearance, and I expect that number to go up as Anthony grows more comfortable against big league pitching. 

Anthony’s first encouraging moment came on Monday night, when he hit a 111 mph line drive that struck Rays pitcher Shane Baz in the body. Not only was the result impressive from Anthony, but the swing was incredible. He managed to take a 98 mph fastball up in the zone and hit a scorching line drive right back up the middle. Unfortunately for Anthony, the ball deflected and ended up in an out, but the swing alone should leave Red Sox fans excited. 

Anthony would end up 0-3 with a walk on Monday, with all three batted balls being relatively hard hit, including a grounder that had an expected batting average above .400.

Game two presented a milestone beyond the debut, as Anthony hit an outside pitch for an opposite-field double, which resulted in his first hit and runs batted in. The hit also gave the Red Sox a lead, which they would never lose. Anthony demonstrated his plus bat-to-ball skills by simply driving the baseball where it was pitched. It was by no means his best swing of the series, but it showcased Anthony’s sky-high potential at the plate. In game two, Anthony also had a fly out, a strikeout, and a hard-hit groundout. 

In his third MLB game, Anthony went hitless, with three groundouts and a strikeout. Believe it or not, the strikeout might have been the most impressive swing of the game for Anthony, as Statcast tracked his first inning swing at 79.9 mph, the hardest swing of the game and one of the hardest swings of the season. Anthony will have a lower average bat speed than 79.9 mph through the rest of the season, but to reach that number once, along with hitting a 111 mph liner earlier in the series, demonstrates the elite power Anthony will carry in his big league career.

Overall, Anthony left me impressed after just three games despite lacking quality results. The bat speed and exit velocities were extremely impressive. Anthony also carried a certain poise at the plate, reminiscent of veteran players who can command the strike zone. My assumption is that results will come soon for Anthony, and he will likely continue to hit up in the lineup. The question for the Red Sox will be how often they let him hit against lefties, as we have already seen the team keep fellow left-handed hitter Marcelo Mayer out of those scenarios. 

Even though Anthony only had one hit, made a bad error, and failed to score a run in his first three games, Red Sox fans should be thrilled that he has arrived, and should be excited for what's to come in both the present and future.

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