The 2026 season was supposed to be a breakout season for Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony. That hasn’t been the case, as he struggled when he was on the field before missing the majority of the season with an injured finger.
Throughout that time, there’s been mounting criticism of Anthony. Some of that is for his injury history and struggles on the field, but some of it is for how Anthony has behaved off the field. In particular, being seen going out in Boston at night, often with Marcelo Mayer.
Perhaps the most notable of those incidents came on Marathon Monday when rumors swirled that Anthony was out late and that he’d been seen intoxicated. That’s far from shocking behavior from a 22-year-old, but amid his personal struggles and the skid the Red Sox were on at the time, it drew plenty of criticism regardless.
Boston Red Sox OF Roman Anthony Responds to CriticismGettyBoston Red Sox OF Roman Anthony
That criticism of Roman Anthony has been difficult to ignore. However, when recently asked about it, the Red Sox star explained that it’s not a problem in the Boston Red Sox clubhouse itself.
“I won’t really talk on that because it’s not even something that’s relevant and it hasn’t been relevant in our clubhouse,” Anthony said, per MassLive. “It’s never been a problem and it’s never really even been a thing. I prioritize getting to bed and doing everything I can to show up and give it all to my teammates and to the fans.”
Baseball players have a long history of going out drinking after games, as well as rumors about partying. The Red Sox alone had Wade Boggs, whose number is retired by the team, and was rumored to drink 107 beers in a day. A fake story or not, that never earned him criticism.
What did earn criticism in Boston was in 2011, when it was revealed that the pitching staff was having chicken and beer consistently. That coincided with one of the worst regular season collapses in team history. In other words, Red Sox fans are going to see this as a reason to be critical if you’re not performing, as Anthony is struggling to perform.
“I think when things aren’t going your way and you’re a 22-year-old kid that does anything other than just goes home and goes straight to bed, people have something to say,” Anthony said.
Roman Anthony Responded to the Red Sox Trading Marcelo MayerGettyRoman Anthony #19 of the Boston Red Sox
Often looped in with Roman Anthony going out too much was Marcelo Mayer. Around the same age and good friends from their time in the minor leagues, Mayer was wrapped in the same criticism of going out too much.
Then, the Red Sox traded Mayer to the San Francisco Giants. For Anthony, it was a blow, losing his best friend on the team.
“It’s sad… he was my roommate since I was 18, 19 years old … Seeing him go, I was excited for him to kind of get a new opportunity, almost like a refresh … to be back close to home,” Anthony said. “I think it will be good for him, hopefully get to see him come to Boston. That would be pretty cool, right? But you know, I was sad, obviously spoke to him, still speak to him quite a bit … hope all goes well for him always.”
Mayer was often wrapped in similar criticisms that Anthony has felt off and on the field. Those are criticisms that come with playing in a major market, but are also ones that can be overcome by playing well on the field.
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