CINCINNATI — First pitch against the Reds wasn’t for another three and a half hours when Roman Anthony trotted out to left field at Great American Ball Park on Saturday afternoon.
Going back to last season, Anthony has made it part of his daily routine to do pre-game drills with Red Sox outfield coach Kyle Hudson. He fields a few dozen ground balls, focusing on turning his glove and body the right way to secure the ball and make an accurate throw.
From one knee, Hudson slaps the ball at Anthony, the low trajectory mimicking a single to left field. Anthony sets to throw, then flips the ball back.
“It’s something I do every day,” Anthony said before going 1 for 5 with a walk and an RBI in a 6-5 11-inning loss against the Reds.
Hudson, who doubles as the third base coach, is always looking to exploit opposing outfielders who are too mechanical as they approach the ball. He wants Anthony to be quick, confident, and take a direct route.
“If I see a guy setting up his footwork, I’m sending the runner,” Hudson said. “That’s something that we’ve worked on with Roman. It’s not playing out of control. It’s just playing a little bit more fast-forward and cutting a little bit more distance to the ball and maintaining a little bit more momentum.
“So you want that to be more natural, not that he’s thinking, ‘I have to field it with this leg back.’ It’s stressing what’s important.”
Those “little bits” add up fast. Extra-base hits and RBIs get you paid, but it’s attention to detail that makes you a complete player.
“The kid is legit,” said manager Alex Cora, who watched Anthony do the drill work and offered a few thoughts.
Anthony graded out as a well-above average outfielder last season, better in right field than he was in left. The plan is for him to be the primary left fielder this season and play right field when Wilyer Abreu is out of the lineup.
Anthony became one of the top prospects in the game because of his bat. But with Abreu and center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela both Gold Glove winners last season and Jarren Duran a finalist in 2024, Anthony doesn’t want to be seen as a weak link in the outfield or anything less than a complete player.
“Absolutely,” he said. “Getting out there before the game is important.”
One point of emphasis for Anthony is getting to the ball quickly. He has an average arm and a speedy release can make a difference. Anthony had only two assists last season and the Sox believe he can have more, especially when playing left field at Fenway Park.
“Maintain the momentum and cut the distance as much as he can so he can get the ball in the air as quickly as possible,” Hudson said. “Because once that ball is in the air, the runner or the coach has to make the decision on whether to send or whether to hold.
“Willy and Ceddanne are really so good at that. We just want Roman to be sound and make the right play.”
Hudson, in his fourth season on the coaching staff, came up with a unique drill in spring training for the outfielders. With the player sitting down and a pitching machine behind him, Hudson shot tennis balls over their head.
It was a way to prepare players for making catches with their back to the plate.
“Roman has been great about getting out there every day,” Hudson said. “He wants to do all the little things to be the best player he can be.”
Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at peteabeglobe.bsky.social.