Anthony gets his World Baseball Classic opportunity as Bregman’s endorsement highlights the lasting impact of their time together with the Boston Red Sox.
As the World Baseball Classic (WBC) draws closer, the rosters for all countries are locking in place.
And with injuries popping up early on in the spring training process, replacements for baseball’s biggest international tournament are popping up.
On Monday, news became official that one of those injury replacements for the WBC was happening for Team USA, as Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll (no relation) had to leave the team with a broken hamate bone in his right hand.
His replacement?
Red Sox phenom Roman Anthony.
And according to The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham, it was a former member of the Red Sox that helped Anthony secure a coveted spot among baseball’s best Americans.
Here’s what Abraham wrote in his column on Monday:
“Team USA third baseman Alex Bregman also lobbied for his former Red Sox teammate. Bregman and Anthony became close last season, the rookie going to school on the advice Bregman gave him.
“‘Bregman was there out of the gate saying Roman was the guy,’ [Team USA manager Mark] DeRosa said.”
Bregman and Anthony’s relationship was well-documented during their half-season playing together in Boston.
When Anthony was initially called up to the big league club in early June, Bregman was still on the IL dealing with a quad injury. But right away, the two-time World Series champion took Anthony under his wing, helping him adjust his swing to deal with major league pitching.
Aug 27, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (19) celebrates hitting a solo home run during the first inning with third baseman Alex Bregman (2) against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. (James A. Pittman/Imagn Images)Here’s what Red Sox hitting coach Pete Fatse told my friend Rob Bradford on his Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast shortly after last season:
“Something that we had saw in spring training - you know, Roman had his hands really far out in front of his face. His hands would, essentially, kind of pull back and get behind him. And we noticed, obviously, from a profile perspective, [the] kid hits the ball really hard. Obviously, there's an opportunity for him to catch the ball a bit further out in front, use his pull-side gap a little bit more - like, there's opportunities for that, but he hits the ball hard enough to drive the ball to center-left, center field.
“But just kind of looking at the move - the move is a little big, and sometimes we get out of sync, and we kind of just felt like, ‘Yeah, we could help simplifying. This could help his ball flight.’ But we also feel like it can help him against lefties, just kind of create some better lines with his upper body, not get as crossed up, so to speak.
“And yeah - Breggy grabbed him one day in Philly, and I remember they - you know, I was there early, and all of a sudden he sits down. He's like, ‘Hey, I've been talking to him about this, let's go.’ And he just - he starts ripping through video, talking shop. We went right to the cage and got to work. That's what makes him great, you know? That's where his impact on our group’s, like, invaluable to me. But getting back to what I was saying about Roman - like, the kid would make adjustments that you think would take 200 at bats, and this kid would do it in 30, 40. Like, he would just be able to apply things fast.”
Is that type of thing painful to read, knowing that Bregman will be taking his talents elsewhere in 2026 after signing with the Cubs in January?
For Red Sox fans? Absolutely.
But for Red Sox fans looking for a glass-half-full approach to this situation, look at it this way:
Even though Anthony only got a half-season of baseball in with one of the MLB’s premier leaders, he should be able to use his time with Bregman as a learning experience of how to operate as a leader moving forward. He may only be 21 years old, but he is almost unquestionably Boston’s best hitter going into the 2026 season. It’s not a requirement that your best player is also your leader in the clubhouse, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.
Anthony’s time with Bregman in 2025, and now having the ability to spend time with him during this 2026 WBC, along with all the other alphas that will be inhabiting that Team USA clubhouse, should rub off on Anthony. If he’s the type of player we all think he is, this will be an invaluable experience for him.
Not having Bregman back will most likely remain painful, at least in the short term. But his long term impact on Anthony could be the thing that matters most as this franchise continues to rebuild towards becoming a true World Series contender again in the future.
Jul 28, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (2) celebrates his three run home run against the Minnesota Twins with left fielder Roman Anthony (19) in the fifth inning at Target Field. (Bruce Kluckhohn/Imagn Images)JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.