After the game, he was accountable to the point of self-flagellation.
“It’s terrible. It’s bad baseball. It’s on me,” said Anthony.
To teammates, Anthony’s willingness to take responsibility for his play and as a spokesperson for the team is remarkable, bordering on unfathomable. No other position player on the team cracked an Opening Day lineup before turning 23.
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“Every time I see him, I just try to remind him how good he is. I think he forgets sometimes he’s 21,” said teammate Jarren Duran. “When I was 21, I was probably messing around somewhere. I wasn’t in the big leagues being a top prospect and having an extended contract with a big-market team like the Boston Red Sox.
“He’s got the weight of this organization — they’ve put the weight of the world on him. I think he’s doing a great job managing it. … [And] it is one of those markets where media is a big presence. As a 21-year-old, that can be tough, but he handles it like he’s a 10-year vet.”
Anthony has long been praised for his talent and maturity — part of why it’s possible to imagine a different growth curve than most big leaguers, especially after last year’s spectacular debut.
But while talent accelerated his arrival in the big leagues, he’s early in his baseball education. Many players at 21 experience throwing issues or offensive inconsistency, but navigate them in college or minor league ballparks. Anthony does not have that luxury.
“We talk about development at the major league level, and that’s essentially what we’re doing,” said third base and outfield coach Kyle Hudson. “But for me, the confidence level is sky high with this kid. He’s going to get through any challenges.”
Roman Anthony has made two errors already this season, and has some work to do on his throwing mechanics from left field.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
That seems likely, but doesn’t mean Anthony will avoid growing pains. As impressive as he was in 2025, a young player’s first full big league season often proves harder than the preceding callup.
The last three Sox position players to start on Opening Day at age 21 — Rafael Devers in 2018, Xander Bogaerts in 2014, Dwight Evans in 1973 — struggled in their first full big league seasons before cementing themselves as anchors the following year. All eventually emerged as stars.
The path required work and patience layered atop exceptional talent. If Anthony merely holds his own instead of starring this year, that’s not a failure.
“It’s always important to remind yourself of [his age], just to contextualize the situation,” said Sox director of major league development Chris Stasio. “Credit to him for how quickly he moved through the system and how quickly he came onto success at the major league level. That’s a testament to his character and his work ethic and his values and how much he wants to help the team.
“[His youth] is always something to consider, but luckily for us, it’s something that you have to consider a little bit less [than with others],” Stasio added, noting the consistency of Anthony’s pregame offensive and defensive routines.
Still, at this stage, struggles and mistakes are unavoidable — which means, at times, the Sox need to create an environment where Anthony is forgiving of his own mistakes.
“There’s this very blurry intersection between pressure and expectations. The expectations placed on Roman are driven by his talent, and he probably puts higher expectations on himself than any of us,” said chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. “We’re all going to make mistakes. I think he’s probably starting from a much better place than most of us in terms of raw ability. Our job is just to make sure that the raw ability surfaces as often as possible.”
To others, it’s mind-blowing that Anthony is already the proverbial drink-stirring straw on the Sox as he navigates the learning process.
“He might be the face of the team right now,” Bogaerts observed on his recent visit to Fenway.
Bogaerts noted how different Anthony’s entry into the big leagues has been from his own, when the infielder resided in shadows cast by stars David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia. Anthony, meanwhile, is already a frequent spokesperson for the state of the team.
When Xander Bogaerts (right) was 21 years old for the Red Sox in 2014, he had established stars such as David Ortiz leading the team.USA Today Sports
Is that a comfortable development environment for a young player? Do the Sox believe they’ve provided the appropriate scaffolding for this stage of his development?
“I do,” said Breslow. “He’s got a network [with the team]. He has a network off the field. He’s a good kid who has great relationships, and I fully believe he’s got the [needed] support system around him.”
Members of the Sox praise Anthony for the way he processes struggles or mistakes — absorbing them in the immediate aftermath of a game, then moving forward productively the next day. But they’re mindful of giving him the space to grow, understanding that this immensely promising version of him is not a finished product.
“We’re under this microscope. Every little thing we do wrong gets magnified. That’s just part of the game. Learning to deal with it is just part of the game,” said Duran. “He’s 21, so by the time he gets to my age, he’s probably not going to care and be an even more amazing player than he is right now. I can’t wait to see that development out of him.”
Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com. Follow him @alexspeier.