Why Bregman believes Roman Anthony can be a ‘superstar for a long time’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Roman Anthony received a rude awakening to Major League Baseball, tallying just one hit over his first six games with the Boston Red Sox and owning a .114 batting average through 15 games since his June 9 debut.

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But MLB’s No. 1 prospect stayed the course — and he’s starting to turn the corner.

Anthony went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs in Monday’s win over the Colorado Rockies while belting his first career home run at Fenway Park, a 418-foot missile to center field. The smooth-swinging 21-year-old has recorded multiple hits in six of his last 10 games, posting a .386 batting average and .994 OPS in that span.

None of Anthony’s recent success is a surprise to Red Sox veteran Alex Bregman, who heaped high praise on the rookie after Monday’s game.

“Super special player,” Bregman said of Anthony. “I think he’s going to be a superstar in this league for a long time. He’s fun to watch and it’s been awesome to watch him go about his business.

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“He’s the same guy every day when he shows up to the ballpark, whether he’s 0-for-4 or 4-for-4. The maturity that he has at his age, it’s special, and it’s part of the reason why he’s so good.”

Anthony showed admirable mental fortitude in June despite his struggles at the plate and in the field. (He committed an error in his first MLB game when he let a ground ball skip by him in right field.) Even amid a dreadful 2-for-27 start to his big-league career, Anthony kept the same approach, staying patient at the plate and producing hard-hit balls that resulted in outs but hinted at his potential.

Anthony appears to be finally realizing that potential, and it’s greatly benefiting the Red Sox, who have gone 7-3 amid Anthony’s 10-game hot streak while averaging a ridiculous 7.6 runs per game — by far the most in the majors during that span.

“The last week, 10 days have been an example of what we feel like this team is capable of,” Bregman added. “I think the future is extremely bright here. Looking forward to continuing to play with those guys. But yeah, it’s been fun to watch them go about their business.”

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Boston’s bold decision to trade star slugger Rafael Devers earlier this month further signaled the team’s belief in the “Big Three” of Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell. While that prospect trio has produced mixed results so far — Mayer is hitting a pedestrian .214 since his May 26 call-up, while Kristian Campbell was sent back to Triple-A on June 19 amid a prolonged slump — Anthony’s recent breakout is a reminder of this group’s lofty ceiling, and the impact each player can make if they live up to their lofty expectations.

The Red Sox will aim for their fifth consecutive win Tuesday night in another matchup with the Rockies at 7:10 p.m. ET.