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Boston's Roman Anthony Gets Honest About Early Season Struggles
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Boston's Roman Anthony Gets Honest About Early Season Struggles

Originally posted on Athlon Sports  |  By Ezra Lombardi  |  Last updated May 22, 2026 1:54 PM ET
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It is no secret that the Boston Red Sox season has not gone the way that most expected it to.

Sitting at 22-27 in fourth place in the AL East on May 22nd, the Red Sox have not yet found their stride due to a number of key players failing to deliver on a consistent basis. Most notably is Roman Anthony, who became Boston's de facto superstar after a botched negotiation with Alex Bregman saw him leave for the Chicago Cubs.

After just 71 big league games, the Red Sox front office saw enough from the 22-year-old to hand him the keys, a decision that looks premature in retrospect. There is no denying that Anthony is and will be a terrific player, but his slow start to the season is proof that putting a team with real postseason aspirations in the hands of such a young player can be a daunting task.

On Thursday, Anthony spoke with Alex Speier of the Boston Globe to break down his personal assessment of the season so far, getting honest about his early struggles before going down with an injury.

"Kind of a letdown, honestly," Anthony explained. "Short sample size, but I wasn't where I wanted to be."

"When I'm at my best, my swing decisions are great... When you're swinging at good pitches, you have a better chance of hitting the ball in the air, and you have a better chance of doing what you want to do."

Anthony has been out of the Red Sox lineup since May 4th when he sprained a ligament in his hand following a swing in Detroit. He was placed on the IL on May 7th but has seen little improvement since. Anthony most recently had a setback over the weekend when he reported soreness following his first time swinging a bat since the injury. He was shut down from baseball activities until the club returned home on Friday.

The injury came at an unfortunate time for the young outfielder, who was showing improvements at the plate in the few games before going down. Anthony was riding a four-game hit streak and was starting to hit the ball harder, a sign that he was beginning to see pitches better.

Despite his lack of results and negative assessment of his performance, Anthony was still doing many of the things that made him such an effective player in his rookie season. His walk percentage (15.4%), chase percentage (21.6%), and average exit velocity (92.3 mph) all rank around the 90th percentile of MLB players, about the same as last year. Slashing just .229/.354/.321 with only one home run and five RBI through 30 games, the underlying metrics still supported the idea that it was only a matter of time before the young slugger broke out.

But any hope of turning this into a hot streak was crushed by the injury, something that has become a theme in Anthony's short career. The former No. 1 prospect missed last year's Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees after suffering an oblique strain in early September.

Both injuries occurred on a swing and lingered for longer than originally expected. While Anthony is dealing with a sprain rather than a tear and is not currently in line for surgery, his prolonged absence is definitely cause for concern - a concern that grows with each negative update.

For now, Red Sox fans can only hope that Anthony responds well to his next swinging session and can quickly regain the strength needed to return. Coming off of a series sweep of the Kansas City Royals, good news on Anthony would be a huge boost heading into a crucial three-game home set against the Minnesota Twins.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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