Boston Red Sox
“I think that was the most important part for me, was just learning all that I needed to do and taking that into the offseason and applying that to next year.”
Roman Anthony is only 21 years old, but he often looked like a MLB veteran during his rookie season with the Red Sox in 2025.
The young outfielder spoke about some of his takeaways from his first year in the big leagues on MLB Network Friday.
“I think I just learned a lot about my everyday routine,” Anthony said. “You know, watching the veteran guys we have, the way that they go about their business, and the guys who have stuck around and made such an impact on this game. I think that was the biggest part, to take care of myself on a day-to-day basis with the schedule and the travel.”
The 2022 No. 79 overall draft pick played in just 71 games after debuting on June 9, and before a left oblique strain cut his rookie season short at the beginning of September. However, during Anthony’s thrilling summer, he averaged .292 with a .396 on-base percentage, .463 slugging, and .859 OPS. He hit eight home runs and 27 total extra-base hits, along with 40 runs and 32 RBI.
Anthony said he found the schedule demanding, but his third-place American League Rookie of the Year finish implies that he discovered the recipe for success despite the physical toll it took on his body.
“It can be tough at times, going to different time zones and playing back-to-back nights. That was the hardest part for me, was just getting adjusted to that schedule and learning what I needed to do in order to get my body ready to play,” he said. “So, I think that was the most important part for me, was just learning all that I needed to do and taking that into the offseason and applying that to next year.”
From his first game after being promoted to Boston, Anthony consistently batted in the top half of the lineup. Pressure was certainly placed on him to perform well for a Red Sox team itching to make the playoffs for the first time in four years, especially after Rafael Devers was traded just days after Anthony’s debut.
He performed well and then some, earning himself an eight-year, $130 million contract extension on Aug. 6.
It’s easy to look at Anthony’s successful 2025 as an individual achievement, but he said he leaned heavily on Boston’s veteran players, frequently turning to them for guidance throughout the season. He named shortstop Trevor Story as a huge help dating back to last offseason.
“Going out to see Trevor Story to his camp that he invited me to, and getting to watch him work and see what makes him such an amazing big-leaguer,” Anthony said when asked who he specifically looked to for help as a rookie. Story held his second-annual “Story Camp” in Texas last winter, with Anthony and Triston Casas among the attendees. “You know, the guy works his tail off every day and is the same way during the season.”
Story, who entered the league with the Rockies in 2016, had his first healthy season as a member of the Red Sox this past year. He played in 157 games after appearing in 163 total between 2022-24. Story’s active presence seemed to have helped contribute to Anthony’s first-year prosperity.
Anthony went on to name several other players he said he learned from, including his locker neighbors.
“And then going into the season, I could go down the list of guys. I was lucky enough to be put in between – my locker was right in between [Alex] Bregman and Jarren [Duran],” he said. “Learned a ton from those guys.”
Due to his oblique ailment, Anthony was unable to play in the Red Sox’ Wild Card Series against the Yankees. However, he said he had “such a fun time” contributing to an exciting season with his teammates.
“But really, all the veteran guys we had were so good to us young guys, and I think that’s why we meshed really well together,” Anthony added. “And we had such a fun time as a team. There was such a good mix of that young-guy presence, especially at the end when we brought up [Connelly] Early and [Payton] Tolle, all those guys. And then, we had a good mix of guys like [Aroldis] Chapman, guys like Story, Bregman, Rob [Refsnyder]. So, we had such a great squad of guys, and that just made it fun to show up every day.”
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