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Aaron Boone’s comments on Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony draw attention ahead of Opening Day.
As Roman Anthony’s breakout run continues to turn heads following his World Baseball Classic surge, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora revealed that New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone recently delivered a strong message about the rising star — a reaction that underscores just how quickly the 21-year-old is drawing attention across the league.
Speaking on Tuesday’s edition of the ESPN Baseball Tonight podcast, Cora was asked by host and veteran MLB insider Buster Olney, “From your conversations with other managers and folks with other teams, what do people love about Roman Anthony?”
While MLB managers are not generally willing to publicly share comments from other managers, Cora did not hesitate to relay Boone’s views on Anthony, a former No. 1-ranked prospect in baseball.
“I got a call from Aaron Boone two days ago,” Cora revealed. “And he said, ‘Man, this is going to be fun to watch.’”
For a Yankees manager to communicate such a positive opinion of a Red Sox player directly to a Red Sox manager may come as a surprise to fans and, in all likelihood, has not happened too often through the history of the bitter Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. But Anthony impressed baseball opinion leaders not only with his abbreviated 2025 season, but as the breakout star of Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
Cora Praises Anthony for Calm Outlook
Anthony played all seven games for Team USA in the WBC, which concluded on March 17 with the American team’s defeat to Venezuela in a hard-fought final. Though he struck out to end that game, Anthony ranked among the top Team USA hitters, with a .920 OPS and two home runs in 30 plate appearances.
Though, at 21, Anthony was the youngest player on the team, only team captain Aaron Judge of the Yankees and last year’s National League home run leader Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies saw more action at the plate.
But Cora told Olney that the young Red Sox star maintained an even demeanor throughout, as he usually does.
“One thing you see is how calm he is — he doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low,” Cora told Olney. “After that big home run the other day to advance to the finals, his interviews were on point — very humble, very thoughtful. He represents his family, his country and the Red Sox the right way.”
Boone’s Views Not Shaped by Anthony’s Outings vs. Yankees
Perhaps most interesting about Boone’s enthusiastic, behind-the-scenes comment on Anthony, as relayed by Cora, is the fact that Anthony did not perform especially well against the Yankees in his rookie season last year.
In seven games, Anthony came to the plate 27 times, with only four hits. One of those hits was a home run, however, off New York starter Will Warren in a 12-1 Red Sox win at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 23.
But Cora said that Anthony’s brief experience as a teammate of Yankees three-time American League MVP Aaron Judge on Team USA was perhaps the most valuable aspect of the tournament for the young star.
“Honestly, Buster, being selfish, it was important for us too — for him to be around Kyle (Schwarber) and Aaron,” Cora said in the interview. “That was perfect.”
Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. He was a sports editor and writer at The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo, Japan, covering Japan Pro Baseball, boxing, sumo and other sports. More about Jonathan Vankin
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