Boston Red Sox right fielder Roman Anthony (48) runs onto the field before a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Roman Anthony Makes Coincidental Red Sox History Shortly After Rafael Devers Trade

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Jack Ankony | Last updated Jun 17, 2025 10:38 AM ET

After the Red Sox traded All-Star slugger Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday evening, much of the attention in Boston shifted to their young core, including right fielder Roman Anthony.

While trading Devers wasn't received well by the Boston fan base, there's good reason to believe Anthony can be an All-Star slugger for years to come. The No. 1 prospect in baseball was promoted to the big leagues on June 9 after slashing .288/.423/.491 with 10 home runs in 58 Triple-A games.

And on Monday, he joined Devers in Red Sox history. Anthony hit his first major league home run in the first inning of Boston's 2-0 win over the Seattle Mariners, launching a Logan Gilbert sinker 391 feet over the right center field fence. That made Anthony – 21 years old and 34 days – the youngest Red Sox player to hit a home run in any game, regular season or postseason, since Devers in Game 4 of the 2017 ALDS, according to MLB.com's Sarah Langs.

At 21 years & 34 days, Roman Anthony is the youngest player to homer for the Red Sox in any game (reg or post) since Rafael Devers in 2017 ALDS Game 4 https://t.co/25xgq8ruAW
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 17, 2025

Devers was just 20 when he hit an inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the ninth inning off of Houston Astros reliever Ken Giles. However, it wasn't enough as the Red Sox lost the game 5-4, leading to a 3-1 series win for Houston. The Astros went on to win the 2017 World Series, which was later marred by controversy, an MLB investigation in 2020 confirmed Houston was electronically stealing signs.

Boston got revenge the following season, defeating the Astros in the 2018 ALCS in five games. Devers played a big role in that series, posting a 1.082 OPS and driving in six runs across 13 at-bats.

It may take a while for Red Sox fans to get over trading the three-time All-Star and 2018 World Series champion. But perhaps Anthony's first season in the major leagues will provide some promise.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: