Aug 22, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Roman Anthony (19) after an at bat against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Red Sox Confirm Roman Anthony Decision Everyone Saw Coming

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Feb 21, 2026 12:02 PM ET

When the Boston Red Sox face off against the Cincinnati Reds on March 26, the first batter of the game will be Roman Anthony, barring an injury.

Boston will open the 2026 season on the road against the Reds at Great American Ball Park with first pitch scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET. On Saturday, Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced that the young outfielder will be the club's leadoff hitter to kick off the season, as shared on X by MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo.

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"No surprise but Alex Cora says he sees Roman Anthony as the leadoff hitter," Cotillo wrote.

The Red Sox named Roman Anthony as the leadoff man

This shouldn't surprise anyone. From August 6 through September 2nd, Anthony appeared in 25 games before his season was cut short. Over that span, he was the leadoff hitter in 22 of the contests. He made the most of the opportunity as he slashed .306/.389/.520 with a .910 OPS. Anthony also clubbed six homers, drove in 13 runs and added three doubles.

Cora pointed to Anthony's ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark as one of the reasons why he is going to be the club's leadoff man, as transcribed by MLB.com's Ian Browne.

"George Springer, Mookie Betts. They’ve done it before [as power hitters leading off], setting the tempo. Kyle Schwarber, too. It can be 1-0 very quick or it’s a quality at-bat," Cora said.

So, there you have it. When the Red Sox's season opens up on March 26, the first batter that will be stepping up to the plate will be the 21-year-old budding superstar in his first big league Opening Day contest. Last year, Anthony didn't make the team out of Spring Training. Him and Marcelo Mayer both started the campaign down in Triple-A and played well enough to get called up to Boston. Now, both are in line for significant roles with the club moving forward. What a difference a year makes.

Baseball is back, the Red Sox are playing games and the fanbase won't have to wait too much longer to see Anthony in action. All is well right now.

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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