It is official, the Red Sox and MLB’s number one prospect, Roman Anthony, has made his long-awaited debut in the first game of a three-game set against the Rays. After being assigned to Worcester to begin the 2025 season, many knew that Roman Anthony would be banging down the door to the majors, with many following Anthony since he was drafted in the second round in 2022. With Wilyer Abreu falling victim to the injured list, on a misty Monday night in June, it was time for the Roman Empire to commence. While this now means that the floundering coaching staff and front office will need to face the logjam that is the outfield, with the already dominant Red Sox outfield consisting of Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu. However, that’s a future problem; for today, everyone should be excited that the number one prospect in the MLB, the Red Sox’s pride and joy, is playing under the Fenway lights on a drizzly June night, the epitome of what baseball is all about.

Anthony’s progression to the majors was quick and nothing short of a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Roman, the organization, and deeply rooted fans. The last member of “The Big Three” to get the promotion to the big league club, this might be the sweetest debut of these three, with Roman being the first overall prospect in the MLB. While he played well in his tenure with the Sea Dogs, his stint with the Woo Sox in Triple-A allowed him to sharpen his five-tool skills to be as ready as he could be for this call-up to Boston. As the season began to turn from bad to worse, the team is coming off an overall beautifully hard-fought series win against the New York Yankees away in the Bronx. There’s no way around it; things have been bleak in Boston for these 2025 Red Sox; however, this Roman Anthony promotion could be just the defibrillator this team needs to get back in this AL East race. Throughout these trying times for the Red Sox and their fans, watching Roman smash expectations in Worcester felt like the guiding light leading the way to the end of the treacherous cavern that was the month of May for the Red Sox.

Baseball’s #1 prospect is here. pic.twitter.com/lgMXfl4NKY

— Red Sox (@RedSox) June 9, 2025

Initially known for his direct contact and bat-to-ball skills, his elite left and center field defense made him the sneakiest pick-up in the 2022 draft; however, as he developed, the Red Sox wanted to build up his power and slugging, and while his numbers weren’t crazy, he was consistently adjusiting well to the next level of the farm system, that consistency being something that the big league’s club desperately needs. It’s time for the long-awaited days of this young core coming into full view to jolt this Red Sox team, which otherwise would be lost without the young core making this core at least somewhat bearable to watch and giving fans hope once more, in addition to that series win against the first-place Yankees, the Red Sox could begin to switch the momentum of this season that otherwise started falling off the rails. In one of the last moments, he had dazzled the fans at Polar Park with a 497-foot grand slam, which was the final proof Craig Breslow and the Red Sox needed to see that not just his contact skills have fully developed, but he also has established a firm power stroke at the dish, becoming a focal talking point in his call-up. With Campbell starting the season with the big league club, Mayer was called up at the end of May at the cost of an injured Bregman. Finally, with a struggling Wilyer Abreu now hitting the Injured List since he’s been “playing through injury,” It is time for Roman Anthony to get his shot. His first game in the bigs did come without his first hit, but he did earn his first RBI in the astounding game-tying ninth inning that sent yet another game into extra innings; the eighth, which they’ve lost this season, the most in the MLB. Roman also drew a clutch walk in the bottom of the seventh to keep the inning alive as the Red Sox continued to rally as they chipped away at the Rays’ lead, Roman giving the team a fighting chance even as he adjusts to major league pitching with the Rays’ best starter of the season on the mound.

With each member of “The Big Three” getting their big break this season, this promotion finally allows the Red Sox lineup to settle into its “franchise era” with all of their most significant prospects from the past few drafts, all of whom deserve this recognition and a chance to settle into their roles on the diamond at Fenway for the foreseeable future. Roman is the most likely to remain with the big league club after these injured sluggers are back in the lineup; however, all three of them have helped this club win, as seen tonight in the late-inning rallies. If the Red Sox become sellers at the trade deadline, which is a very real possibility, at least one of these semi-established young stars might not be here past the trade deadline if the right deal comes along. After a tough seesaw of a game in last night’s loss, it is yet another close one that the Red Sox drop that adds to the case that they could sell a bit at the deadline to bolster the lineup for next year as all three of the Red Sox’s youngsters will be more comfortable after having significant major league experience from 2025. Much like how the Phillies are looking to use Mick Abel, or the Mariners potentially could use Cole Young, a solid return from another team, the Red Sox could find themselves in the same position for the right starter or bullpen arm, or if a deal for an every day first baseman (like Nathaniel Lowe of the Nationals or Rhys Hoskins of the Brewers) comes along.

Despite this version of the 2025 Red Sox finding success after reconstructing their approach to the season,  after losing their numbers three, four, hitters and five hitter just not seeing a solid rhythm at the plate (and the short-term fix for the slumping heart of the line-up, Abreu, now also on the IL) getting injured, this final ploy to save the season with the three most significant prospects probably in all of Red Sox history is exciting and has seemed to be the current fix that is keeping the club afloat after falling from second in the AL East to fourth, but also troublesome after what many were calling a franchise-altering offseason that would bring the Red Sox back to the beginning of the next Red Sox team with players that all kids will know about, not just those crazy enough to follow this team year in and year out. These three young stars successfully gelled with the vets that avoided going cold or injury by the likes of Devers and Duran, and it felt like “the time is now.” With Bregman on the road to recovery and the Red Sox’s first-base depth, who has started to swing it well in Casas’ absence, Campbell, Marcelo, and now Roman have all had moments where they’ve put the game on their back and have managed to come through even if it’s not the production they would’ve wanted, like Roman’s RBI in the bottom of the ninth.

Big leaguers. pic.twitter.com/KHwGGEguXy

— Red Sox (@RedSox) June 10, 2025

Regardless of whether or not the Red Sox are buyers or sellers (or a mix of the two, which has been their story in the past few years), Anthony will most likely be here for the long haul. Last night’s debut was one for the history books, in terms of the franchise, and seeing Anthony seamlessly transition as not just a member of the lineup, but the number five hitter who could make or break the momentum of an inning, which means that whoever had a part in this promotion knew that Roman was ready to be a difference maker for this team, one that would be the “secret weapon” that could recharge this team as the season’s dog days start to unfold. This team begins to get familiar with one another around the diamond, hopefully now with players starting and staying in their given positions. It might be too early to start planning for the postseason, but for right now, as the chips settle, it’s time for this group to work together for that last wildcard spot, which they currently sit four games back of. If they can find their way to get back in contention for at least the wild card, we can still hold out hope for this new era of the Boston Red Sox. One thing that is for sure is that with Roman officially in Boston, this roster, even without Bregman in the lineup right now, the team is starting to feel more concrete, and if there’s one thing this team should welcome, it’s concrete stability.