What makes good players great is their hunger for the game and the expectations they have of themselves. When Roman Anthony came into the majors, the expectations for him were high, and Red Sox fans would say that he had done more than enough to prove himself. But none of this might have even happened if not for his mother.

In a recent interview, Roman Anthony revealed that after he was not picked in the first round of the 2022 draft, he was about to pull out. Anthony said, “Once I fell out of the first round and saw some of the guys who I had played against (selected), I took it personal.”

Roman Anthony entered the 2022 MLB Draft with very high expectations. That expectation was backed by the numbers he had with an average of .520 with 10 homers and 40 RBIs. He had also won back-to-back state titles at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School.

He was also named Gatorade Florida Player of the Year, and with all this under his belt, he came into the draft thinking that he was going to be a first-round pick.

But despite those numbers, he was not picked in the 1st round, which hurt him a lot. Anthony said, “You remember everything,” recalling the night that hurt him. After getting snubbed, Anthony was so hurt that he wanted to take his name out of the draft round, and his dad recalled saying, “He just basically said, ‘Dad, I’m going to Ole Miss,’” and become an All-American, and reenter stronger.

But fate had a different plan. The Boston Red Sox picked him in the 2nd round, but Anthony still wanted to reject it.

But his mother, Lori Anthony, convinced him to go play for the Red Sox. She said, “You’re taking the money for two reasons. Number one, if they’re going to pay you that much money, they’re going to be invested in you… And secondly, spring training is right over in Fort Myers.”

His father now recalls this decision and says that it was “the best move he ever made.” Since choosing the Red Sox, Anthony has justified why he wanted to be a 1st round pick. Against the Astros in August 2025, Anthony delivered a walk-off single. He was a very crucial part of that team, which made it to the Wild Card rounds in 2025.

Roman Anthony finished the season with an average of .292, 8 homers, and 32 RBIs in 71 games. This was before he got injured and had to miss the last part of the season and the postseason. But life has not been all roses for Anthony in 2026.

Roman Anthony has not had an easy start to 2026

With the past behind him, Roman Anthony will be looking to get past the hurdles and get the wheels rolling in the 2026 season.

The Boston Red Sox have opened the 2026 season with a 1-5 record, losing five straight games. They squandered their early momentum after beating the Cincinnati Reds, then dropped two games immediately. A three-game sweep by the Houston Astros exposed pitching issues.

With the Red Sox going back to Fenway Park, it will be the right time for the team to fire. After these losses, Manager Alex Cora said, “It’s always good to be home.”

Cora also added that the offense needs to fire and said, “We’re 1-5, that’s reality.”

One of the major concerns is Roman Anthony. Anthony has started the season on the back foot by going 5-22 since Opening Day and was 1-18 at one point.

Anthony said, “I think the last thing you can do is panic… We have so much baseball left,” showing maturity by acknowledging that there are still 156 games left.

But Roman Anthony is not the only problem. Aside from Wilyer Abreu, other hitters have not produced enough runs during the skid.

With the Red Sox all set to face the Padres and the Brewers in Boston, the offense will need to get on its game quickly and can’t afford to fall behind at the start of the season.