Roman Anthony may be just a few games into his big league career, but his presence is already being felt across New England.
As soon as the Red Sox announced the 21-year-old outfielder’s promotion Monday afternoon, ticket sales surged. Between 4 and 6 p.m., Ace Ticket sold 500 seats for that night’s game, owner Jim Holzman told Michael Silverman of the Boston Globe.
“That generally happens when a team clinches the playoffs or makes it to the next round,” Holzman told the Boston Globe, comparing the rush to the David Ortiz farewell craze in 2015.
The spike did not stop after Anthony’s debut. Sales doubled for Tuesday’s game, tripled for Wednesday’s, and are expected to remain strong through the weekend series against the Yankees — especially after Boston’s showing in the Bronx.
Online interest rose, as well. NESN reported record-breaking traffic on its NESN 360 streaming platform, with more than 80 percent of subscribers tuning in during Monday’s broadcast. The audience was 18 percent larger than the platform’s previous high from Opening Day.
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At 47 Brand’s team store on Jersey Street, co-owner Bobby D’Angelo rushed to restock. He ordered a sizable shipment of Anthony shirts and jerseys ahead of the Yankees series, though he acknowledged some initial uncertainty about how long the rookie will stick around.
D’Angelo was glad to see Anthony switch from No. 48 to 19, joking that 48 “doesn’t sound like Yaz or Ted Williams to me.” Still, he is confident in the rookie’s appeal.
“All he’s got to do is be a .250 hitter,” D’Angelo told the Boston Globe. “They’re going to love this guy.”
Holzman added one last comparison to the buzz.
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“It’s like Cooper Flagg and AJ Dybantsa,” he said. “I don’t think since Mookie [Betts] has there been this kind of excitement.”
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