BOSTON — Roman Anthony, Baseball America’s No. 1 prospect, has been in the major leagues for less than a week but Red Sox star Alex Bregman has seen enough.
“I think he’s gonna be one of the best hitters in all of baseball,” Bregman said before Boston’s 2-1 walkoff win in 10 innings over the Yankees on Friday.
“Obviously you can’t judge somebody by three games, but he’s already hit a ball 111 (mph exit velocity) in the big leagues. I don’t think I’ve ever done that in my career,” Bregman added.
Could that actually be true?
Yes. The 21-year-old Anthony’s 111.2 mph lineout in his first MLB at-bat Monday was harder than any ball Bregman has ever put in play in the major leagues.
Statcast data shows Bregman’s top max exit velocity came in 2022 when he hit a ball 109.2 mph off the bat. His second hardest exit velocity came this year (109.1 mph).
“I think the game’s slow for him,” said Bregman, who made his MLB debut in 2016. “The at-bats are super solid. He’s just gonna continue to get more comfortable and he’s gonna be a real force in this league.”
Bregman said Anthony’s transition from Triple-A to the majors has been a smooth one.
“He’s super mature,“ Bregman said. ”He’s got a really good head on his shoulders so it’s been fun to watch him. And can’t wait to get out there and play with him.”
