BOSTON — Now and likely well into the future, Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer are inexorably linked.
They were grouped together as the Red Sox‘ top two prospects as they made their way through the minors. They made their major league debuts within a couple of weeks of one another. And they remain close friends.
Together, the two are tackling the challenges of performing in the big leagues. But in least one notable area, Anthony is, for now, showing himself to be more advanced.
While both hit lefties well at Triple A, only Anthony is continuing that success in the majors. In an admittedly small sample size, Anthony is actually hitting slightly better against lefthanded pitching (.233) than righties (.226), though the slug is much better against righties (.415 slugging percentage vs. .233).
Moreover, Anthony’s at-bats against lefties have been more competitive, earning him everyday status when it comes to Alex Cora’s daily lineup roulette.
Meanwhile, Mayer is batting just 4-for-22 (.182) vs lefties with seven strikeouts. Against righties, he’s hitting .230 with an OPS of .743.
“That’s a tough one, because I hate comparing them,” said Cora when asked about the disparity. “But the at-bats have dictated what we do with Roman. And Marcelo will hit lefties; he will. But right now, playing Roman every day, for us, is the right move. Like I said on the road, he will play every day.”
There are also more alternatives to Mayer in the infield against lefties. Cora can use the switch-hitting Abraham Toro or the righthanded Nate Eaton at third base as he plots the best available lineup against lefties.
“(Sunday, Mayer) got beat with some fastballs (off a lefty reliever) and he’s expanded at times, but it’s a small sample size,” said Cora. “I think it’s more about the other guys. Nate has done an amazing job, obviously Romy (Gonzalez, too). In this situation, I think it’s (options) more than anything else.
“(With Anthony), the quality of the at-bat is real and I’m going to play him everyday. Then, you pick one of the other two (lefthanded outfielders – Wilyer Abreu and Jarren Duran). Willy didn’t play for two (recent games), so it’s good for him to go out and face a lefty and given Jarren a day.”
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