Roman Anthony Emerges as Red Sox Face as Projections Put Him Ahead of Trevor Story
Roman Anthony has fast become the center of attention for the red sox after a rookie season that combined strong production and a high-profile role in Boston’s plans. Projections from analytics outlets that favor Anthony over veteran Trevor Story for home runs have amplified expectations as the club prepares for his first full campaign.
Development details — Red Sox
Anthony made his major-league debut on June 9 and finished the year with 71 games and 303 plate appearances. Over that span he hit. 292 with eight home runs, 32 RBIs, 48 runs scored, 18 doubles and an. 859 OPS. He placed third in American League Rookie of the Year voting.
Across his final 27 games before an oblique injury ended his season, Anthony thrived in the leadoff spot, producing a. 336/. 439/. 564 batting line with six homers in 132 plate appearances. Manager Alex Cora has designated him as the club’s leadoff hitter, citing his blend of power, plate discipline and athleticism. That role and his marketability were evident in spring interactions, where he became one of the most in-demand interview subjects and a focal point for fans at the Fenway South complex.
On the projections side, Bleacher Report’s breakdown of projected 2026 home-run leaders leaned toward Anthony surpassing Trevor Story. The projection work referenced ZiPS data from FanGraphs and suggested Anthony could push toward 30 home runs, while the projection list named Story (or catcher Willson Contreras) as a candidate at 22 homers. Story had a bounce-back season in 2025, hitting 25 home runs.
Context and escalation
Anthony’s rapid rise is grounded in a short but impactful major-league run. He arrived midseason, produced across 71 games, then delivered an even hotter stretch once installed at the top of the order before an oblique injury halted his momentum. That sequence — debut, productive sample, and abrupt end because of injury — created both demand for certainty about his long-term role and an appetite for projection-based optimism.
His inclusion on the Team USA roster came after an injury opened a spot, giving him additional visibility beyond club play. Inside the organization, Cora has likened Anthony’s quick-strike offensive profile to established, high-impact players, and Boston’s decision to put him at leadoff reflects confidence in his ability to create runs at the top of the lineup.
Immediate impact
The immediate effects are tangible: Boston enters the offseason and spring planning with a young player who can be both a lineup catalyst and a draw for fans. Anthony’s final 27-game sample produced measurable gains — a. 336 average, a. 439 on-base percentage and six homers — that inform coaching decisions and roster construction. That burst helped vault him into a position where projection systems and national outlets consider him a potential power leader for the club.
For teammates and front-office planners, the cause-and-effect is clear: Anthony’s demonstrated plate discipline and power in a concentrated sample produced elevated expectations, and those expectations are shaping his assignment as primary leadoff hitter heading into the coming season.
Forward outlook
Confirmed milestones on the near-term calendar center on Anthony entering his first full major-league season in a lead-off role and carrying the workload that entails. The projection work tied to ZiPS and discussed by national outlets suggests observers will watch his home-run totals closely, particularly in comparison to established club power hitters such as Trevor Story and Willson Contreras.
What makes this notable is the speed of the transition: from a June debut to a defined lineup role and national projection talk by the time Boston turns toward a full season. The combination of club endorsement from Alex Cora, a third-place finish in AL Rookie of the Year voting, and analytics forecasting a significant power leap provides a clear set of benchmarks for measuring Anthony’s next season.
As the club moves forward, the next confirmed checkpoints will be his availability and health entering camp, how he performs in the leadoff role through spring and early-season games, and whether his power surge sustains across a full workload. Those are the immediate, evidence-based signals that will determine whether the current expectations translate into long-term status in Boston’s lineup.
