Working The Waiver Wire: June 13th

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  • By Jeff Clowers

    Last Updated on June 13, 2025 11:00 am by Paul Williamson | Published: June 13, 2025

    Today’s select cuts from the waiver wire come with some sizzle, as the most-hyped player in all the minors is now plying his trade at the major league level. We dive into part of what makes Roman Anthony special below, as well as digging into the resurgence of Trevor Story, his Red Sox teammate. Finally, we find ourselves in familiar territory yet again, with a pitcher in the minors worth stashing (that isn’t named Bubba Chandler) and a newly-promoted reliever who showcases a shiny skill set – but may or may not be destined for closing duties.

    Off we go!

    Roman Anthony – OF – BOS – 66% Yahoo, 92% CBS

    Last 14 Days: .083/.154/.167 – 0HR/0SB – .151 wOBA – .083 ISO – -19 wRC+

    There’s a good chance that by the time you’re reading this article, Anthony’s roster-percentage is going to surpass the point where he no longer qualifies for our waiver wire series but as one of the main prospect writers for Ethos, you better believe I’m going to take the opportunity to write about a prospect who has done more than enough to earn the title of consensus #1 prospect, cementing his place as one of the most standout hitters to grace the minor leagues in the last decade.

    Prior to making his MLB debut on Monday, Anthony tore through multiples levels of the minor leagues in 2023, rising from Single-A to Double-A in one season as a 19-year-old. As a 20-year-old in 2024, Anthony was allowed the chance to settle in at Double-A to start the season but he was once again promoted midway through the season after blasting 15 bombs in 84 games, all while carrying a wRC+ that was 40-percent better than league average. The expectation was that Triple-A may finally provide enough of a challenge for Anthony but that level of competition quickly seemed beneath him as well, as he continued showcasing his ability to level up new parts of his game. This time, it was his plate-discipline that shone through instead of simply his productivity in the power department;

    BB%

    		 K% Contact%

    SwStrk%

    Double-A (2024)

    		 12.8% 25.5% 77.2% 8.9%
    Triple-A (2025) 19.2% 21.1% 74.5%

    9.1%

    Sometimes you’ll notice older, more experienced prospects see their walk rates grow significantly, the longer they stay in the minors. Occasionally this is because they’ve managed to gain a reputation as a fearsome hitter while climbing the minor league ladder; other times it’s simply because they’ve stagnated at a level and are now older than the competition they’re facing. Usually though, even the most-feared sluggers in the lower minors face a new level of difficulty upon reaching Triple-A since a not-insignificant portion of the players at that level are only a tweak or two away from being legitimate major leaguers. With that in mind, it’s all the more noteworthy that Anthony maintained his strong overall metrics in Contact% and SwStrk% and all the more impressive that he was able to lower his strikeout rate while simultaneously upping his walk rate to nearly-matching levels.

    I’ll mention again, Roman Anthony is just 21 – and a young 21 at that, having just hit the milestone on May 13th. Rookies should never be expected to come out of the gate at the height of their powers but Anthony may once again break the mold there, once given a little time to adjust. In other words, ignore the current wRC+ of -18 and focus instead on dreaming of the many, many home runs to come for the Red Sox’s latest promotion. I would ballpark his final line on the season as roughly .245/.330/.445 with 15 home runs and five steals. Those totals coming in half a season of production will play in any format even if you’re focused solely on redraft leagues.

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    June 13, 2025, 11:00 am