Fantasy managers have anxiously waited for the Boston Red Sox to promote OF Roman Anthony, arguably the top prospect in the sport. They have finally gotten their wish, with the Red Sox placing starting OF Wilyer Abreu on the injured list. Anthony should instantly become a regular in the middle of the Boston lineup.
Anthony, 21, excelled at Triple-A Worcester, slashing .288/.423/.491 with 10 home runs over 58 games and 265 PA, while drawing nearly as many walks as strikeouts. He also rocketed a 497-foot grand slam in Saturday's game, at an exit velocity of 115.6 mph, making it clear he is a special talent.
Anthony began Monday available in more than 85% of ESPN standard leagues, and he should be among the most-added players -- if not the most added -- soon. His is a mature plate approach with strong pitch recognition and, while the big-league results for other recent Red Sox prospects haven't been awesome (Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer), most believe Anthony will succeed.
Time will tell, but comparing Anthony to Campbell or any other prospect is a waste of time. Each hitter must make proper adjustments to top pitching, and Anthony has proven capable of doing so in the high minors. Drawing walks at a consistently high clip (better than 18%) over the past three seasons is a great sign, as is his ability to hit left-handed pitching.
The Red Sox don't need Anthony to lead their lineup. They need a solid, consistent contributor. It certainly appears Anthony can do this. As with all unproven rookies, fantasy managers should be patient, but the results should be there.
