Roman Anthony leads five Red Sox prospects in Keith Law's Top 100 list
BOSTON -- Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony has had to relinquish his spot atop MLB prospects lists to Roki Sasaki, whom the Los Angeles Dodgers just signed out of the Japan Pacific League. But Anthony remains the cream of the crop in the mind of MLB prospects expert Keith Law.
Law does not see Sasaki as a prospect, since he pitched the last five seasons professionally in the JPPL for the Chiba Lotte Mariners. So Law has Anthony as his No. 1 prospect heading into the 2025 season, one of five Red Sox prospects to crack his Top 100.
Here are the five Red Sox prospects to make Law's Top 100:
No. 1: Roman Anthony, OF
No. 9: Kristian Campbell, 2B/OF
No. 28: Marcelo Mayer, SS
No. 42: Franklin Arias, SS
No. 97: Yoeilin Cespedes, SS
Anthony, Campbell, and Mayer could all break into the Majors with Boston at some point in 2025, and Law sounds high on all five of Boston's prospects in his Top 100. It paints a very bright future for the Boston Red Sox.
Roman Anthony
The Red Sox drafted Anthony in the second round in 2022 and he's quickly shot up Boston's system. The 20-year-old started his 2024 season at Double-A Portland, where he slashed .269/.367/.489 with 15 home runs and 20 doubles over 84 games. Anthony finished the season with Triple-A Worcester, where he hit .344 with three homers, 12 doubles, 20 RBI, and 33 runs scored over 35 games.
Law believes Anthony has the profile to be the best player in baseball.
"He's very disciplined for his age, chasing just 20 percent of the time in Triple A, with a whiff rate under 9 percent, picking up spin very well even at a level when he was facing guys who'd pitched in the majors," Law wrote of Boston's top prospect. "Anthony has mostly played center in the minors, but he's not very rangy and he's maybe an average runner, so he's much more likely to end up in a corner, supplanted in center by someone with plus range. He's got a chance to be a 30-homer, high-average, high-OBP guy in right field, maybe with plus defense there, which is a 'best player in the league' profile."
Anthony was the No. 2 prospect in baseball on MLB Pipeline's Top 100, behind only Sasaki.
Kristian Campbell
The Red Sox drafted Campbell in 2023 and he was already turning heads in 2024. He started the season in High-A Greenville and finished in Triple-A Worcester, with Campbell swinging a hot bat no matter which minor league team he played for. The 22-year-old infielder/outfielder slashed .330/.439/.558 with 20 home runs, 32 doubles, 77 RBI, and 94 runs scored over 115 games in 2024.
Campbell was rewarded for being one of the best hitters in the minors last season, earning Minor League Player of the Year honors from Baseball America.
Law praised Campbell for his "incredible eye at the plate" though he noted that the prospect's swing can be a little flat through contact. But the sky is the limit for Campbell.
"He does have some holes he'll have to work on, including four-seamers up and anything moving down and in under his hands or at his front hip, some of which may just be a function of his limited experience before getting to Triple A. He's also already gained 10-15 pounds of further muscle this winter, which could help with bat control and getting some more loft through contact. He could easily be a plus defender at second and at worst should post high OBPs with 20-30 steals and 50+ extra-base hits a year," wrote Law.
Campbell could potentially compete for Boston's starting second baseman job this spring. Law has Campbell slightly lower than MLB Pipeline, where he checked in as the No. 7 prospect in baseball.
Marcelo Mayer
The Red Sox drafted the highly touted Mayer fourth overall in 2021, but injuries have slowed his climb through the Boston system. He had a solid season in Double-A in 2024, slashing .307/.370/.480 over 77 games, but another injury cut his campaign short. He finished his season on the IL in Worcester.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said this offseason that he'd like to see Mayer put in time at second and third base and shortstop this spring. Law says that Mayer has "superstar potential," but injuries are a concern with the 22-year-old.
"He murders fastballs, with the bat speed to catch up to top-end velocity, while offspeed stuff gave him more trouble than ever in 2024. It may be mechanical, as he's locking his front knee very early and trying to hit with a completely firm front side, leaving him vulnerable to stuff down at or below his knees; if that's the issue, it's also fixable, and he hasn't always hit this way," wrote Law. "More concerning is that Mayer has yet to play in 100 games in a pro season, topping out at 91 in 2022, missing time due to a lumbar strain (2024), shoulder inflammation (2023), a sprained wrist (2022), and 'back issues' (2022)."
Mayer is the No. 12 prospect on MLB's Pipeline this year, after he was No. 7 in 2024.
Franklin Arias
Arias was a monster in the Florida Complex League last season when the shortstop/second baseman hit .355 over 51 games. He then played 36 games for Low-A Salem, slashing .257/.331/.378.
"He's got tools and athleticism to spare, showing excellent bat speed and wrist strength already, along with a fantastic swing that has great rhythm to it and lets him get his lower half involved for more power. He's a true shortstop with soft hands and solid instincts already, showing a plus arm and above-average speed on both sides of the ball," Law wrote on Arias. "He has the upside of a plus defender at short with above-average OBPs and 20 homers a year, with the only major risk just his age and the distance he has to travel to get to the majors."
Arias checks in at No. 76 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 for the 2025 season.
Yoeilin Cespedes
The final Red Sox prospect to crack Law's Top 100 is the 19-year-old Cespedes. The infielder played for the Florida Complex League in 2024 and hit .319 with five homers and 10 doubles over 25 games, before his season ended due to a hamate bone fracture.
"He's small but strong, with a powerful swing for someone his size that backs up the numbers he's produced so far, with 11 homers in 71 career games between the [Dominican Summer League] and Florida Complex League, Law said of Cespedes. "He's not going to stick at shortstop, however, and might end up at third base rather than second given his frame and how his body looks now at age 19. He'll move to Low A this year and may take some time to get all his hand strength back; beyond that, he looks like a hitter who could move quickly through the low minors because he's stronger and more polished than the typical teenaged hitter, with the upside of an above-average regular at third with fringy defense but a strong all-around offensive game."
Cespedes did not crack MLB Pipeline's Top 100, but he sounds like a lock to make it on the list in 2026.
Former Red Sox on Law's Top 100
Three former Red Sox prospects are also in Law's Top 100.
Kyle Teel and Brenden Montgomery were both traded to the White Sox for Garrett Crochet this offseason, and check in at No. 37 and No. 38, respectively. Nick Yorke, who was drafted 17th overall by Boston in 2020 and traded to the Pirates last July, is the No. 50 prospect on Law's list.
The Red Sox are one of five teams with five prospects in Law's Top 100, along with the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Milwaukee Brewers. The Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, and Seattle Mariners all have six prospects in the Top 100, while the Detroit Tigers lead every team with seven players.
