Red Sox Fans Hope for Rising Star

Boston may be calling soon.

As Red Sox supporters look toward their top MLB prospects amid ongoing struggles, 21-year-old Roman Anthony made waves in a recent game, leading the Rochester 10-4 victory over the Woosox on Saturday. He hit a jaw-dropping 497-foot Grand Slam in Triple A Worcester.

“That ball was crushed,” said Woosox manager Chad Tracy.

The impressive shot came off a 91.1 mph sinker thrown by pitcher Carlos Romero, rocketing off Anthony’s bat at 115.6 mph, clearing the field wall in right center and giving the Woosox a commanding 9-4 lead in the eighth inning.

“I really connected with it,” Anthony shared. “So, it felt amazing.”

According to Statcast, this home run is the longest recorded this baseball season.

As for Anthony, this year, he’s hit only one home run exceeding 475 feet, which occurred on April 19 against the Giants—a mammoth 484-footer reminiscent of a Mike Trout classic.

Since Statcast’s tracking began in 2015, few have managed to surpass the distance Anthony achieved on Saturday. Notable mentions include Nomar Mazara (505 feet in 2019), Giancarlo Stanton (504 feet in 2016), CJ Cron (504 feet in 2022), and Christian Yelich (499 feet in 2022).

The Red Sox currently sit at 31-35, fourth in the AL East, trailing the Yankees by 9.5 games as they gear up for rubber games on Sunday.

The team faces disappointment outside of Ace Garrett Crochet. Alex Bregman was having an MVP-worthy season before a hamstring injury in late May, and Christian Campbell has struggled following a successful promotion.

Anthony, drafted in the second round in 2022, is steadily making his case for a call-up to Boston, boasting a .290 batting average, 10 home runs, and 29 RBIs in 57 games this season, including two Grand Slams.