Red Sox will keep Roman Anthony in leadoff spot for 2026 season

The Purple Sox may have their prime hitter within the leadoff spot to open the 2026 common season.

Roman Anthony will function the Purple Sox’ leadoff hitter this season, supervisor Alex Cora informed reporters on Saturday. The information isn’t a lot of a shock, with Cora giving an comprehensible motive why the younger outfielder will hit first for Boston in 2026.

“It may be 1-0 very fast or it’s a high quality at-bat,” Cora informed reporters, through MassLive’s Christopher Smith.

Anthony confirmed veteran-like poise on the plate as a rookie in 2025. His 13.2 p.c stroll price would’ve ranked 14th in baseball final season if he had sufficient at-bats to qualify. That helped him develop a extremely spectacular .396 on-base proportion, which might’ve been tied for the third-best mark within the majors had he registered sufficient at-bats in 2025.

As Anthony emerged as a prime hitter in his rookie season, he shortly discovered his method to the highest of the Purple Sox’ lineup. He hit leadoff in 27 of the final 32 video games he began earlier than struggling a season-ending indirect harm in September.

Anthony thrived within the leadoff function as properly. In his 27 leadoff plate appearances, Anthony went 8-for-25 (.320) with two residence runs, seven strikeouts, a .370 on-base proportion, and a .930 OPS. Over the complete course of a recreation, when Anthony was the Purple Sox’ leadoff hitter, he hit .336 with six residence runs, 17 RBIs, and a 1.003 OPS.

Anthony’s dominance hitting within the leadoff spot coincided along with his breakout final season. Following a tough 15 video games to begin his profession, Anthony hit .329 with seven residence runs, 27 RBIs, and a .931 OPS over the ultimate 56 video games he performed.

That stretch of play helped Anthony end in third in AL Rookie of the 12 months voting regardless of enjoying simply 71 video games. It additionally helped earn him a roster spot for Group USA within the World Baseball Basic. MLB Community additionally ranked Anthony as its second-best left fielder entering the 2026 season, whereas Anthony has the ninth-best odds to win AL MVP.

Cora’s declaration that Anthony will hit leadoff is the second recognized variable of the Purple Sox’ lineup for 2026. Within the offseason, Cora stated that new first baseman Willson Contreras will hit cleanup.

With Anthony and Contreras set to this leadoff and cleanup, respectively, that could be an indication that Trevor Story will hit second, and both Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu will hit third. That will assist give the Purple Sox some lefty-righty stability on the prime of the order, with both Durran or Abreu seemingly hitting fifth.

If Boston opts to maintain going with the lefty-righty stability all through the order, that would imply new third baseman Caleb Durbin would hit sixth, and Marcelo Mayer would hit seventh. Ceddanne Rafaela has hit within the nine-hole for almost all of his younger profession, which would depart Carlos Narvaez for the eighth spot within the lineup.

The Purple Sox will show Anthony and Contereas of their respective roles on Saturday, once they tackle the Twins of their first Grapefruit League recreation of spring coaching.