Red Sox's Roman Anthony predicted to beat out Aaron Judge for top end-of-season award

The Boston Red Sox have made a ton of changes to the roster this offseason, but nothing has changed with the outfield despite plenty of trade rumors on Wilyer Abreu and Jarren Duran.

While those two might draw the most headlines for their trade rumors, the true star of the outfield is Roman Anthony. After a productive rookie season and a solid World Baseball Classic showing, Anthony looks poised for a huge 2026 season.

And Eno Sarris of The Athletic agrees. So much so that Saris is predicting that Anthony will beat out New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge for the AL MVP award.

Roman Anthony predicted to win AL MVP over Aaron Judge

"Roman Anthony wins AL MVP," Sarris predicted. "... Now he looks a lot like a Junior Caminero who has the potential to put up better defensive numbers in the outfield."

Sarris's prediction of Anthony to win the AL MVP award is very bold. He would be the third player to win the award in his second season, and doing so by overtaking Judge, one of the best hitters in baseball history, would be a huge accomplishment.

Anthony struggled at times in his rookie season with ground-ball rate, but if he can improve those numbers and elevate the ball more often with his incredible bat speed and power, then Anthony could be in store for a huge year.

Sarris compared him to Junior Caminero, who hit 45 home runs last season despite some shaky defensive play at third base.

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If Anthony can reach similar power numbers as Caminero, maintain his contact skills, which led to a .292 batting average, and pair it with great defense, his 2026 season could be a very, very good one.

Last year, in 257 at-bats, Anthony had an .859 OPS with only eight home runs. While he was a productive hitter, there was plenty of power left on the table.

The 21-year-old outfielder could be the next superstar in the Major Leagues, and winning MVP over Judge in just his second season would certainly be a way for him to prove he's one of the best players in baseball.

This prediction from Sarris is a bold one, but for Anthony, who is seemingly on the cusp of a massive season, it's not too far-fetched, especially if the Red Sox can beat the Yankees for the AL East division title.

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