Mark DeRosa Gushes Over Red Sox's Roman Anthony Before Opening Day
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Roman Anthony made a strong impression on Team USA manager Mark DeRosa at the World Baseball Classic.
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As a late injury replacement for Arizona Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll, Anthony enjoyed a coming-out party on the grand stage. The 21-year-old batted .280/.400/.520 with two home runs in seven games for the tournament's runners-up.
Anthony now begins his first full MLB season for the Boston Red Sox. Resuming his role as an MLB Network analyst, DeRosa raved about the outfielder on Wednesday when identifying Anthony as a player to watch in 2026.
"This dude's special," DeRosa said. "Special make-up. Special approach at the dish. Loves the big moment. Not too big for him. Walks around with an aura and a presence."
DeRosa said the veterans made Team USA's youngest player carry around heavy speakers, but Anthony refused to let any coaches help. The former player recalled a conversation that revealed the left-hander's "super mature" perspective.
"He said, analytics has broken into the game in a big way. And in the minor leagues, guys are obsessed with barrel, exit velos, regardless of what their raw numbers look like," DeRosa relayed. "He said, that stuff will get you to the big leagues. But I've realized once I've been here, the only thing is, can you get on base or not?"
Anthony certainly succeeded on that front, notching a .396 on-base percentage in 71 games as a rookie. He could score a handful of runs by maintaining that pace as Boston's leadoff hitter this season.
Several pundits have set immenseexpectations for Anthony to ascend toward stardom in 2026. He's not shying away from the hype, setting Hall of Fame aspirations for his nascent career.
More MLB: Red Sox Star Roman Anthony Reveals Hall Of Fame Aspirations