Red Sox's Roman Anthony Already Made One Big Change After First MLB Game

Boston Red Sox superstar prospect Roman Anthony didn't get his first big-league hit in his debut on Monday, but he recorded his first RBI and smoked his first 110-plus mile per hour line drive.

On Tuesday, he's adding another career first to the list, just not the kind you might expect.

As first reported by Carlos Yamazaki of the Tokyo Sports Press, Anthony is changing his jersey number from 48 to 19, the number he wore with Triple-A Worcester. It was worn earlier this season by left-handed pitcher Sean Newcomb, who now plays for the Athletics.

Other previous Red Sox to wear 19 include Jackie Bradley Jr., Koji Uehara, Josh Beckett, Gabe Kapler, and Fred Lynn, so it's a number with a fairly rich history.

NESN showed video on Anthony working out before the game in a dri-fit t-shirt with the number 19 on the sleeve, as final confirmation that the change was happening.

Anthony went 0-for-4 wearing the number 48, so he's hoping that a lower number, which tends to suit star players better than something in the forties, will lead to his first hit and several thousand more.

Meanwhile, baseball's number-one prospect will once again play right field in Tuesday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays, where he had only four appearances in the minors this season compared to 29 in left field.

Another interesting subplot to follow will be Anthony's debut patch baseball card, as Topps produces a one-of-one trading card for every big leaguer containing the patch they wear on their sleeve during that first game.

In March, Pittsburgh Pirates superstar pitcher Paul Skenes' debut patch card sold for $1.1 million at auction, and the 11-year-old fan who found it in a pack turned down an offer from the Pirates that included 30 years of season tickets behind home plate, a meet and greet with Skenes, and a personal softball game at PNC Park.

Anthony doesn't yet match Skenes in terms of fame, but the fact that his card will now contain the patch he wore in his only game wearing number 48 could add some intrigue.

Now that Anthony's brief identity crisis has been solved, he and his team are hoping to get a crucial series-evening victory against the division rival Tampa Bay Rays, who now lead them by five games in the standings. First pitch from Fenway Park will be at 7:10 p.m. EST.