Former Red Sox Pitcher Says Team ‘Overdid It’ With Roman Anthony — and the Results Are Clear

The Boston Red Sox are in a freefall. A 27-39 record. Last place in the AL East. A 10-21 mark at Fenway Park, where they used to be nearly unbeatable. And one of the biggest reasons — according to a former member of the pitching staff — is how the organization handled rookie phenom Roman Anthony.

Adam Ottavino, who pitched for Boston in 2021, didn’t hold back when MLB insider Ken Rosenthal asked about the team’s plan for Anthony. “I don’t think the plan was very sound,” Ottavino said. “I think they overdid it with him.”

The Red Sox entered 2026 expecting Anthony to be the linchpin of a lineup that lost Alex Bregman in free agency. Bregman, a veteran leader and steady bat at third base, wasn’t brought back. The front office seemed to believe Anthony could fill that void immediately. That bet has backfired.

Injuries and Expectations Collide

Anthony entered the season as the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball after a promising 71-game debut in 2025, where he slashed .292/.396/.463 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs. But a wrist injury has sidelined him since May 4, with no clear timeline for his return. Before the injury, he was hitting just .229 with one home run and five RBIs.

“He showed flashes last year, but the team put a ton of pressure on him to carry the offense,” Ottavino said. “For a kid that young, that’s a lot to ask — especially when the lineup around him isn’t producing.”

The Red Sox have not confirmed when Anthony might return, and the team has been quiet about his rehab progress. Fans online have pointed out that the front office failed to build depth around him, leaving the lineup thin when he went down.

A Pattern of Overreliance?

Anthony isn’t the first young player to struggle under the weight of outsized expectations in Boston. The organization has a recent history of rushing top prospects into the spotlight before they’re ready. According to multiple reports, the Red Sox front office believed Anthony was ready to hit the ground running in 2026 — but shoulder and wrist issues have derailed that timeline.

Ottavino’s critique cuts deeper than just one player. He suggested the team’s overall roster construction was flawed from the start. “You can’t ask a 22-year-old to be your best hitter and your clubhouse leader at the same time,” he said. “That’s not how winning teams work.”

For now, the Red Sox are stuck. They’re last in the division, their best young player is hurt, and the front office has no obvious Plan B. If Anthony returns and produces, the narrative could shift. But if he doesn’t — or if he returns and struggles — the 2026 season might be remembered as the year Boston broke its brightest prospect.