Joey Votto has made it clear that Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is the hitter who most reminds him of himself. The former Cincinnati Reds great said Anthony and he had “very similar swings,” adding that the comparison goes back to how Votto looked when he was younger.
Votto’s comments matter because they go beyond a casual compliment. He was not just pointing to one good trait, but to a profile that he sees as complete: bat speed, the ability to handle left-handed pitching and the knack for driving the ball the other way.
Why Roman Anthony caught Votto’s eye
Votto described the similarity in straightforward terms, saying that Roman Anthony and he have “very similar swings, certainly,” and that they were “actually very, very similar swings” when he was younger. He also noted that both players are not “big, super strong guys,” but are tall enough to create a similar look at the plate.
That is the sort of comparison that tends to stand out because it is built on more than size or reputation. Votto singled out bat speed as the key trait, saying it “plays” for Anthony and that the Red Sox outfielder has “plenty of it.”
The skills Votto sees in Anthony
Votto also praised Anthony’s ability to do damage in different ways. He said Anthony seems to handle left-handed pitching well and can “hit the ball the other way well,” which is often a sign of a hitter who is not trying to force the game.
For Votto, that rounded profile is what made Anthony stand out most. “Roman Anthony is probably the guy that stands out most to me,” he said.
The comment fits into a wider picture of Votto speaking publicly about hitters and the modern game. Earlier in June, he appeared on MLB Network’s MLB Now with Brian Kenny and Sean Casey, and on July 22 he was back on MLB Network with Brian Kenny, Bob Costas and Jake Peavy. In those appearances, he discussed hitters such as Frank Thomas, Nick Kurtz and Yordan Álvarez, alongside broader conversations about how the game is evaluated.
Votto’s latest comparison is useful because it gives fans a simple way to think about Roman Anthony’s offensive profile. If a hitter of Votto’s stature sees his own younger swing in Anthony, that is a sign the Red Sox prospect has traits that translate immediately: balance, bat speed and the ability to use the whole field.
With Votto scheduled to make his Sunday Night Baseball debut for NBC on July 26, his voice will remain part of the conversation around hitters. But even before that, his assessment of Roman Anthony has already offered a clear verdict: this is a swing worth paying attention to.
