{"id":540139,"date":"2026-03-16T13:01:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T13:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/540139\/"},"modified":"2026-03-16T13:01:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T13:01:14","slug":"red-sox-roman-anthony-is-emerging-as-a-superstar-at-wbc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/540139\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Sox\u2019 Roman Anthony is emerging as a superstar at WBC"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBoston Red Sox\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t“Whether it\u2019s Joe DiMaggio or Ted Williams or Derek Jeter or Big Papi, there are some people that just have the \u2018It Factor.'”<\/p>\n

\"United
\n\tRoman Anthony has slugged two home runs so far during the WBC. (AP Photo\/Ashley Landis)\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Conor Ryan<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMarch 16, 2026 | 8:20 AM\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

3 minutes to read<\/p>\n

Roman Anthony only has 71 games of big-league experience under his belt.<\/p>\n

\u200bBut the Red Sox outfielder and ascending star continues to put himself on the map with Team USA during the 2026 World Baseball Classic.<\/p>\n

Anthony rose to the occasion for Team USA during Sunday\u2019s semifinal bout against the Dominican Republic \u2014 clubbing the eventual game-winning solo shot in the top of the fourth inning to lift the Americans to a 2-1 victory.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I hit it, I kind of just blacked out,\u201d Anthony told FOX Sports\u2019 Kevin Burkhardt, Derek Jeter, David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez during Sunday\u2019s postgame broadcast.<\/a> \u201cI was, in my head, [saying], \u2018Just please go, please go.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Anthony\u2019s home run proved to be all that the U.S. needed, as Team USA\u2019s pitching staff limited the Dominican Republic to just one run off of eight total hits \u2014 quieting a potent lineup that included star sluggers like Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, and others. \u200b<\/p>\n

A late addition to Team USA\u2019s World Baseball Classic roster, Anthony has proven his value on numerous occasions so far during the international tournament. \u200b<\/p>\n

Through six games so far, the 21-year-old outfielder is batting .318 with two home runs and seven RBI while sporting a 1.014 OPS.<\/p>\n

\u200bDespite his lack of MLB reps, Anthony has made quite the impression \u2014 especially in the eyes of some of the game\u2019s greats.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you see a kid like that, whether it\u2019s Joe DiMaggio or Ted Williams or Derek Jeter or Big Papi, there are some people that just have the \u2018It Factor\u2019,\u201d Rodriguez said after Team USA\u2019s win. \u201cThat kid has the looks, the humility, the size, the power. \u2026 He\u2019s very special.\u201d\u200b<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got to tell you, that kid is a student of the game,\u201d Ortiz added. \u201cWe are so proud to have him in our organization, and it\u2019s because he does nothing but get better and better and better. This is a kid who came into the league last year, he got injured, and watching his team during the playoffs, and not being able to perform and be with them? That was killing him. I can see it in his face. Glad that he\u2019s healthy this year. He put on a show tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u200bAnthony has justified the hype over the last year since elevating his stock as one of the top blue-chip prospects in baseball.<\/p>\n

His call-up in June helped spark a mid-season surge for the Red Sox, with the poised slugger batting .292 with eight home runs, 32 RBI, and posting an .859 OPS over his 71 games before an oblique strain prematurely ended his rookie campaign.<\/p>\n

Now healthy, Anthony is expected to be a key conduit for the 2026 Red Sox in his first full season in the big leagues. He\u2019s already showcasing that talent during this tournament for Team USA.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome guys were asking me about you as a player, and I told them that you are the complete package,\u201d Ortiz told Anthony postgame. \u201cYou are a great athlete, good listener, your work ethic is at another level.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anthony\u2019s poise as he navigates his first years in the majors is also not lost on his U.S. teammates \u2014 including seasoned veterans like Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a stud. He\u2019s so much fun to watch play,\u201d Harper told The Boston Globe\u2019s Tim Healey<\/a> of Anthony\u2019s approach. \u201cThis game is in such a great place with young guys, with so many guys that love the game of baseball. He plays on such a big-market team in Boston. So to be able to have the success in his career this early, it\u2019s been a lot of fun to watch.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t say enough about him. He works hard, does everything the right way. He\u2019s been a pro. It\u2019s been a lot of fun to watch and play with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u200bAnthony was not the only Red Sox player to step up for the U.S. on Sunday. Reliever Garrett Whitlock delivered in the eighth inning of a one-run game \u2014 retiring the side in order (including two strikeouts) while matched up against Soto, Guerrero, and Machado.<\/p>\n

\u200bAnthony, Whitlock, and Team USA will look to take home a WBC title on Tuesday, as they will take on the winner of Monday\u2019s other semifinal matchup between Venezuela and Italy.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Profile\t<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.<\/p>\n

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