The buzz around Roman Anthony is reaching a fever pitch, and the betting market is taking notice. The Boston Red Sox outfielder is drawing attention with his immense potential, and it's easy to see why.
Former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon has set the bar sky-high, predicting Anthony could smash around 50 home runs in his first full season. If he pulls it off, Eno Sarris of The Athletic might just look like a genius for forecasting an AL MVP win for the young phenom.
DraftKings is already placing Anthony in elite company, giving him the fifth-best odds for this season's AL MVP at +1400 as of Monday morning. He's just behind some heavy hitters: reigning MVP Aaron Judge (+195), 2024 runner-up Bobby Witt (+450), 2025 runner-up Cal Raleigh (+1100), and Seattle's own Julio Rodriguez (+1200).
Anthony's odds even edge out AL East rivals like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Gunnar Henderson (+1500), as well as seven-time All-Star José Ramírez and 2025 AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz, both at +1600.
The baseball world is clearly expecting big things from Anthony, and with good reason. Last season, he posted an impressive .292/.396/.463 slash line with 2.7 fWAR over 71 games. He kicked off the 2026 season on a high, reaching base four times in Boston's Opening Day win against the Cincinnati Reds.
In the opening series, Anthony racked up four singles and three walks, though he didn’t notch any extra-base hits at Great American Ball Park. To truly make his mark as an MVP contender, he'll need to start elevating the ball and delivering more damage at the plate. The stage is set, and all eyes are on Anthony to see if he can rise to the occasion.