Red Sox name their leadoff hitter for 2026

The Boston Red Sox will have a new-look offense of sorts in 2026, but they have already tabbed one particular hitter to lead the charge.

Boston has named outfielder Roman Anthony as their leadoff hitter for the 2026 season. Red Sox manager Alex Cora made that announcement on Saturday while speaking to reporters, per Rob Bradford of WEEI.

The 21-year-old Anthony burst onto the scene as a rookie for Boston last season. After being called up in June, Anthony proceeded to hit .292 with eight home runs, 32 RBI and four stolen bases.

Anthony did only manage to appear in 71 total games due to his late call-up as well as an oblique injury in the second half of the season. But he still finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting and would end up getting rewarded by the Red Sox with an eight-year, $130 million contract extension.

While Anthony did already see time at the leadoff spot in 2025, Jarren Duran was Boston’s primary leadoff hitter during the season (with Anthony also batting at No. 2, No. 3, and No. 5). But with Anthony producing a .396 OBP as well as an impressive walk rate of 13.2 percent, he certainly has the makings of a full-time leadoff guy.

The Red Sox lost Alex Bregman in free agency this offseason but added another multi-time All-Star hitter via trade. While there may be some tinkering with Boston’s batting orders in 2026, it appears that the lefty-hitting Anthony is officially locked and loaded as their No. 1 batter.