Boston Red Sox designated hitter Roman Anthony (19) runs to third base during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Fenway Park. Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Roman Anthony calls out Red Sox for 'unacceptable' start

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Apr 5, 2026 9:08 PM ET

Boston Red Sox right fielder Roman Anthony is holding his team accountable amid an awful start.

The Red Sox lost 8-6 to the San Diego Padres (4-5) at Fenway Park in Boston on Sunday. Boston is now 2-7 and last in the American League East. Anthony admitted the perennial World Series contender shouldn't be in this position this early in the season in a postgame news conference.

Roman Anthony calls Red Sox's early skid "unacceptable"

"We need to find a way to bring more energy and just be better," Anthony said (h/t Tyler Milliken of WBZ-FM in Boston). "This is unacceptable. It's unacceptable to the fans. It's unacceptable to the standard we set for ourselves."

Anthony's comments suggest he's trying to instill a sense of urgency in the team. It may be a long season, as 153 regular-season games remain. The Red Sox, however, will continue to sink if they don't get it together soon.

Roman Anthony makes it clear the way the Red Sox are playing is unacceptable.

"We need to find a way to just bring more energy and just be better. This is unacceptable. It's unacceptable to the fans. It's unacceptable to the standard we set for ourselves." pic.twitter.com/tazh4zcdJd
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) April 5, 2026

Boston can't seem to hit or pitch. As of Sunday, the Red Sox rank 16th in the majors in batting average (.223) and 20th in ERA (4.28).

Boston manager Alex Cora has been fiddling with his lineup to give the team a spark, including moving Anthony from right field to designated hitter, which has yielded mixed results.

Anthony had a walk and scored a run in Sunday's loss against San Diego, but he went 0-for-4 at the plate. Through his first nine games this season, the 21-year-old slashed .235/.316/.382 after slashing .292/.396/.463 in 71 games last season.

"There's a few things we have to be better with defensively... There's stuff we have to improve as a group and that's part of Roman's development," the manager said for a story published Saturday, via MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo.

Anthony may be struggling at the plate, but at least he's showing signs of development as a leader. Now, he needs his teammates to listen closely to his comments and raise their games.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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