Roman Anthony's first big game at Yankee Stadium: How Red Sox rookie continues to impress at the plate

Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony made his first game at Yankee Stadium a memorable one, homering and driving in three runs as part of Thursday's 6-3 victory over New York (box score). Here's a look at his home run, a 370-foot shot to right field that gave the Red Sox a commanding lead heading into the bottom half of the ninth inning:

"I love playing in an atmosphere. I love being booed. I love everything about it. We know the rivalry, and it was exciting," Anthony told reporters of his first taste of Yankee Stadium.

With the victory, the Red Sox are now just a half-game back of the Yankees for the American League's top wild-card spot. The two teams will meet three more times this weekend and then three additional times in September, suggesting they should continue to jockey for superior playoff positioning throughout the remainder of the regular season. 

While the Red Sox may or may not win their seeding race with the Yankees, Anthony isn't likely to usurp Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz for the AL Rookie of the Year Award honors. Even so, he's validating his preseason ranking as the top prospect in baseball by hitting .286/.405/.448 with five home runs, 18 additional extra-base hits, and four stolen bases over the course of 59 games played.

Here are two keys to Anthony's success at the plate.

1. Discretionary approach

It's no stretch to describe Anthony as the most patient hitter in the AL. He's offered at just 36.4% of the pitches he's seen to date, the lowest figure on the Junior Circuit and the second-lowest rate in the majors among players with at least 200 trips to the plate. (New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto checks in at 35.3%.) Predictably, Anthony also has one of the lowest chase rates in the majors, ranking as the 12th best hitter when it comes to maintaining a tight handle over the strike zone.

Lowest swing rates in MLB, min. 200 PA

1. Juan Soto, OF, Mets: 35.3%
2. Roman Anthony, OF, Red Sox: 36.4%
3. Liam Hicks, 1B/C, Marlins: 36.7%
4. Chase Meidroth, INF, White Sox: 37.4%
5. Taylor Ward, OF, Angels: 37.9%

There is, of course, a thin line between being patient and being passive. The risk with these extreme cases, like Anthony, is that they'll damage themselves by being too selective and allowing too many hittable pitches to pass them by. Quantifying swing decisions is still a nascent science on the public side, but it's perhaps notable that he ranks in the 83rd percentile in SEAGER, a creation of Baseball Prospectus author Robert Orr that judges approach.

There may come a time when the Red Sox want Anthony to be more aggressive, particularly on pitches within the strike zone. It's not clear that it's worth messing with what works anytime soon.

2. Authoritative contact

When Anthony does let loose, he's making the most of his swings. He entered Friday with an average exit velocity of 94.7 mph and a 58.9% hard-hit rate. Those figures rank No. 4 and No. 2 in the majors among batters with at least 200 plate appearances, with Anthony trailing Oneil Cruz, Aaron Judge, and Kyle Schwarber in the first category and just Schwarber in the second.

You may wonder how it's possible for Anthony to reliably hit the ball as hard as anyone while producing only five home runs in 59 games. The answer lies in his point of contact. Whereas the three aforementioned sluggers make contact with their barrels angled toward their pull side, Anthony tends to make contact with his barrel at a neutral angle. 

That being the case makes Anthony far more likely to hit the ball to center field, and it also explains why he pulls fewer balls in the air than the league-average hitter. Again, the Red Sox may want him to start lifting and pulling more in the future as a means of maximizing his slugging output. 

For now, what Anthony is doing works for him -- and working for the Red Sox as they continue toward their first playoff berth since 2021.