Anthony steps front and center as Red Sox Big 3 move to Triple-A

Day 1 is in the books for the Red Sox Big 3 at Triple-A.

Boston’s top three prospects got their first tastes of the top Minor League level on Tuesday after the trio was promoted to Worcester together over the weekend. Roman Anthony enjoyed a three-hit night in his first Triple-A outing and Kyle Teel also debuted as the WooSox beat Lehigh Valley, 4-3, at Polar Park.

“It was a really special moment to get the callup,” Boston's No. 1 prospect Marcelo Mayer told the Worcester Telegram. “And then, especially, with these two guys here, we’ve been together all season, (so) it’s been fun.”

Mayer didn’t play Tuesday as he continues to nurse a lower back injury, but that isn’t expected to keep the game's No. 5 overall prospect off the field for long. But the WooSox got their first looks at Anthony (BOS No. 2) and Teel (BOS No. 3), who caught all nine innings but finished hitless in four at-bats. Triston Casas and Vaughn Grissom both went deep to help Worcester mark the day the Big 3 arrived with a victory.

"Getting the first couple ones out of the way definitely helps slow the game down," Anthony said.

Anthony had the most memorable night on the field of the three. He started in center field and recorded hits in each of his first three at-bats out of the leadoff spot. The 20-year-old doubled and scored in the first, and singled in the third and fifth before grounding out in his final at-bat. It was the kind of all-around performance Anthony made a habit of at Double-A Portland, where he hit .269/.367/.489 with 15 homers and 16 steals in 84 games. He ranked second in OPS and third in homers in the Eastern League prior to his promotion.

"Going to other levels last year, I was pretty nervous,” he said. “But today, I took a little bit of an awkward swing in my first at-bat. Then I kind of took a deep breath and realized my heart beat feels pretty low right now. I feel good. So I just went out there and had fun."

Mayer and Teel are also coming off impressive showings at Double-A. The 21-year-old Mayer was leading the Eastern League in hitting and slashing .307/.370/.480 with eight homers and 13 stolen bases in 77 games, three years after the Red Sox drafted him No. 4 overall in 2021. He last played on July 30 due to the back issue.

Teel was the No. 14 overall pick in the 2023 Draft and reached Double-A during his pro debut last summer. He was hitting 298/.390/.462 with 11 homers and nine steals in 84 games during his second stay at Double-A. He ranked second in the Eastern League in hitting and runs, third in on-base percentage and fourth in RBIs.

Of the trio, Teel is the oldest at 22 years old. They are ranked among baseball’s top 27 prospects on MLB Pipeline’s newly unveiled in-season Top 100 Prospects list, and all three represented Boston in last month’s All-Star Futures Game. It's easy to see why the mood was so joyous Tuesday for the trio's arrival, the anticipation being that they will soon arrive in Boston as a group as well.