Rarely does a rookie arrive in the big leagues and instantly change the trajectory of a franchise. Roman Anthony is that rarity, a notion the Red Sox recognized in signing the 21-year-old to an eight-year, $130 million contract Wednesday.
As the Sox worked with Anthony and his representatives through some of the thorny final details, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow reached out to the team’s owners for approval on some atypical elements in the deal. The response?
“Get this guy. This guy’s perfect ― like, literally,” team CEO/president Sam Kennedy recalled.
The Red Sox had staggered through the early part of the schedule when they decided to call up Anthony on June 9. They owned a 32-35 record, placing them fourth in the AL East. They are 32-17 since, best in the American League.
That’s not solely because of Anthony, of course. There have been numerous, massive changes that have reshaped the roster since then.
Still, there’s no question Anthony changed the dynamic of the club. Through 47 games entering Friday night’s series opener in San Diego, he’s hit .276/.392/.417, exhibiting remarkable plate discipline and patience that teammates suggest has had a ripple effect throughout the lineup.
He is just the fifth player in the 21st century who, at 21 or younger, posted an OBP of .390 or better through his first 47 career games, joining Fernando Tatís Jr., Juan Soto, Jason Heyward, and Albert Pujols.
Anthony also has impressed with his base running and outfield play, grading as an above-average defender in the corners. Overall, he’s produced 1.5 WAR in the calculations of FanGraphs. Yet even that marker of production is inadequate to capture who Anthony is and what he’s done.
“I think [what Anthony has done] is special. I think it’s remarkable,” said Breslow. “And I’m not sure that there’s a metric that we should look at uniquely and believe that it perfectly captures the impact that he’s had. We can look at his contribution, whether that’s WAR or any of those. We could look at our team record.
“But I think that we’ve talked a lot over the last couple of months about this athletic, dynamic team that we’re looking to build, and Roman suits that perfectly.”
This isn’t the first time the Sox have seen a team elevate its play once Anthony joined it. Raves started pouring in about Anthony as an 18-year-old making his pro debut in the Florida Complex League in 2022, shortly after he’d been drafted in the second round and signed to a $2.5 million bonus.
Even in the FCL, the words “mature” and “maturity” were used so often that it was easy to forget Anthony was the youngest player on the team. His reputation only grew across levels, as players and coaches got to appreciate his talent and what mattered to him.
Last year, when he was promoted to Triple A Worcester along with Kyle Teel and Marcelo Mayer, the team had a 53-60 record. Down the stretch, as Anthony solidified his case as the top prospect in baseball, the WooSox were 26-11.
“When we had him last year in Worcester, what he did to our team as far as wins and losses from the moment that he came up, we’re seeing a copy-paste exactly of what happened when he came up to Worcester,” said Red Sox first base coach José Flores, who was the WooSox’ bench coach last year. “So I’m not surprised at all.’'
Flores, who was a minor league coordinator with the Cubs from 2013-17, suggested Anthony’s impact upon arrival in the big leagues reminded him of Kyle Schwarber’s with the Cubs in 2015, when a young team working to establish itself suddenly hit another gear. Anthony is a rookie but is respected as a sage by older teammates.
“You see the quality of at-bats this guy’s taking on a daily basis, that’s contagious,” said Flores. “Trevor Story, a guy who’s been in the big leagues a long time, seeing this kid, how comfortable he looks in the batter’s box, they had conversations, and Trevor may have picked up something that he hadn’t been thinking about through the course of the struggles he was having early. Now, all of a sudden, you’re seeing a lot more success than struggle.”
Anthony’s comportment on the field and among his teammates has been jarringly impressive. He’s gifted but looks to coaches and teammates for insight on ways he can improve. He does not seek attention but is comfortable with it, and has shown a remarkable ability to handle the media and frame all comments through the prism of team success. He constantly seeks the feedback of veterans, yet already has earned their respect to the point that more experienced teammates turn to him for advice on the field.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever been around a guy who has the type of impact that he has at that age,” said third base coach Kyle Hudson, who recalled his astonishment when Anthony introduced himself in spring training by asking for help to improve his sliding. “That’s the reason why we are where we are right now, and why he is where he is, just because his approach to everybody, and his approach to the game is about winning. That’s what it’s all about for him. There’s not a selfish bone in his body . . . People are drawn to him. People want to talk to him. People want to pick his brain.”
After wins, the Red Sox recognize a player of the game, who briefly addresses his teammates. Pitcher Garrett Crochet said he was “caught off guard” by how mature, poised, and well-spoken Anthony was the first time he received the recognition.
“He’s one of the more mature 21-year-olds I think that has ever come through Major League Baseball,” said Crochet. “You mix his work ethic with his discipline, and that’s kind of what you see on the field. It’s been a pro at-bat since day one. He never seems overwhelmed or overmatched. For me, it’s really just the maturity that’s the biggest thing.”
Teammate Alex Bregman suggested Anthony’s at-bats reminded him of Yordan Alvarez when the Astros slugger arrived in the big leagues and instantly became one of the league’s best hitters as a 22-year-old in 2019.
Pitcher Walker Buehler compared Anthony’s presence to that of former Dodgers teammates Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager, both of whom won Rookie of the Year honors and eventually emerged as the MVP (Bellinger) or runner-up (Seager).
Yet there’s also the dimension of how Anthony carries himself ― how he manages to display a “Jeter gene” in how he fields every question, whether reframing all personal successes by discussing the team or taking the time to appreciate teammates, as when he opened his discussion of a recent back injury by praising Wilyer Abreu’s fill-in.
“He wants to win,” said manager Alex Cora. “He’s shown it in the interviews [and] the way he goes about his business.”
Indeed, the decision by Anthony to sign underscored and amplified that commitment.
“The main goal is just show up every day and be the best version of myself and get better each and every day and try to help this team win,” Anthony said. “And obviously, now that this [deal] is done, it’s even more [of] a reason to just go out and be the best version of myself and win baseball games.”
Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com. Follow him @alexspeier.