The Red Sox have baseball’s No. 1 prospect in Roman Anthony.

It’s only a matter of time before the 20-year-old outfielder gets the call. Fresh off his first big-league spring training, Anthony is tearing the cover off the ball in Triple-A. Through 29 games with the WooSox, he’s hitting .305 with a .933 OPS and 32 hits, including 11 for extra bases. He walks (22) nearly as often as he strikes out (26), and has reached base safely in 21 of his last 22 games.

But what about the rest of the farm?

Unlike the big-league club, which can’t seem to stay above .500 for more than a few games and hasn’t played to a winning record since 2019, the Red Sox player development has improved by leaps and bounds over the last half-decade. In February, Baseball America awarded them the No. 1 spot for the first time since their organizational rankings began in 1984. A month later, MLB deemed Boston’s farm third-best – behind the Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays – and included Anthony, Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer, and Franklin Arias in their top 100 prospects.

In other words, the present may be frustrating, but the future is brighter than ever.

Here’s the Herald’s first Farm Report, your monthly rundown of the organization’s brightest stars.

Anthony doesn’t stand alone atop the rankings. He and Mayer are the most promising – not to mention entertaining – top prospect duo the Red Sox have had in a long time.

Mayer is hitting .268 with a .814 OPS, and despite only playing 22 games, is leading the WooSox with seven homers and 34 RBI, one short of the International League lead, and twice as many as any of his teammates (Anthony and fellow outfielder Nate Eaton have 17 RBI apiece). The shortstop has hit safely in 11 of his last 14 games, and just earned International League Player of the Week honors for April 21-27, a stretch in which he went 9 for 20 with three doubles, three homers, seven runs and 12 RBI.

The Red Sox called up veteran utility man Abraham Toro in the immediate aftermath of Triston Casas’ season-ending injury, but chief baseball officer Craig Breslow described the move as “short-term” on Saturday. Perhaps they’ll give Nathan Hickey a look at some point. He’s spent the most time at first base of anyone on the WooSox roster (145.1 innings), and has turned 12 double plays and made seven assists. He can also catch, and has hit safely in 10 of his last 15 games.

On the pitching side, left-hander Shane Drohan is enjoying a fresh start after a tumultuous, injury-hampered 2024 in which the White Sox selected him in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft only to return him to the Red Sox in June. Through six games (five starts) this season, he owns a 1.90 ERA and has struck out 35 batters in 23.2 innings.

The same can’t be said about the organization’s former top pitching prospect, Bryan Mata, who was designated for assignment, non-tendered, and re-signed to a minor league contract last fall after years of injuries. Command continues to be an issue for the righty, who was considered a potential starter years ago, but has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen so far this season. Though he’s struck out 24 batters in eight appearances (15.1 innings) he’s allowed 12 runs (11 earned) on 20 hits, issued 11 walks, and hit two batters. Opponents have an eye-popping .423 on-base percentage against him.

Before allowing four earned runs on six hits (including three home runs) in his most recent start, righty Brian Van Belle was on a roll; he only allowed three runs (two earned) and struck out 15 batters through his first five games. The 28-year-old righty who began the season with a pair of relief appearances before moving to the rotation, has been effective overall, with 17 strikeouts and just three walks in 18 total innings.

The Red Sox optioned Luis Guerrero back to Triple-A on Saturday, but he continues to impress. Called up for his debut late last season, the rookie right-hander made nine appearances without allowing an earned run. He’s now extended the streak to 12 games, making him just the fourth Red Sox pitcher since the start of the Expansion Era (1961) to begin his career with a 0.00 ERA over as many outings.

Though he’s not a prospect, veteran MLB reliever Nick Burdi has also earned a mention as the club’s big-league bullpen continues to falter. The 32-year-old righty, who previously pitched for the Pirates, Cubs, and Yankees, has yielded just one run (earned) in 11 relief appearances, with 22 strikeouts and just three walks across 14.2 innings.

Portland may not have Anthony, Mayer, or Boston’s thrilling new rookie infielder Kristian Campbell anymore, but their Triple-A promotions last summer opened the door for a new wave of talent in Portland.

Infielders Mikey Romero and Tyler Miller have begun the season on a tear, leading the Sea Dogs roster with five homers apiece.

Outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia, also known as ‘The Password,’ is hitting .291 with a .402 on-base percentage. He’s leading the roster with 16 walks (to 19 strikeouts), with Romero hot on his heels (13).

Garcia isn’t the only SeaDog with impressive plate discipline. Corner infielder Blaze Jordan has 10 walks to his 12 strikeouts. He’s also driven in a team-leading 17.

Top pitching prospect Luis Perales is still working his way back from Tommy John surgery last June, but several Portland pitchers are impressing early.

Tyler Uberstine owns a 3.75 ERA over five starts, and leads the roster with 24 innings pitched. His 29 strikeouts are the most on the staff and tied for seventh in the Eastern League. Yordanny Monegro and Connelly Early have punched out nearly as many batters (27, 22), and in just 13.1 and 13.2 innings, respectively,

Hard-throwing David Sandlin is having a difficult go of it. He’s gone at least four innings in each of his five starts, but he hasn’t kept any of his opponents off the board. He owns a 4.64 ERA across 21.1 innings, and has allowed multiple earned runs on three occasions. Walks have been an issue as well; he’s issued at least one free pass in four of his outings.

Unlike the big-league bullpen, whose eight blown saves are tied with the Phillies for the most in the majors, the SeaDogs are getting some shutdown performances from their relievers.

Neither Jonathan Brand (six games) nor Gabriel Jackson (four games) has allowed a run thus far. In four appearances totaling 10.2 innings, Jack Anderson has struck out 17 batters and allowed just one earned run. He’s also only yielded one walk in four relief appearances, the best mark of any Sea Dogs pitcher who’s thrown double-digit innings.

Yovanny Cruz owns a 1.54 ERA across six games finished, though command has been something of an issue; he’s issued eight walks and hit two batters.

Wyatt Olds owns a 2.76 ERA over seven appearances (tied with Reidis Sena and Zach Bryant for most on the team) and with 16.1 innings pitched, is proving he can succeed in a multi-inning role; he’s gone at least three innings in four of his outings.

Payton Tolle, the highest draft pick from last year’s class still with the organization, has gotten off to a tremendous start to his first full season of professional baseball. While the 6-foot-6, 250-pound left-hander’s 4.30 ERA doesn’t jump off the page, he has struck out 29 batters through just 14.2 innings in his first four starts.

That’s more than two strikeouts per inning on average.

Tolle had his best performance yet on Sunday when he struck out 12 over five scoreless innings. Overall he’s now struck out 21 in nine scoreless dating back to April 27.

Tolle isn’t the only notable Red Sox pitching prospect who has shown out in Greenville. Hayden Mullins struck out 27 with a 1.06 ERA in 17 innings before he was called up to Double-A after just four outings, and he was effectively replaced by Brandon Clarke, a fifth-round pick from last year’s draft who has lit up the radar gun ever since his arrival. Clarke had 17 strikeouts with a 0.93 ERA in three starts in Low-A Salem, and upon his promotion he struck out seven without allowing an earned run over 4.2 innings in his High-A debut.

Juan Valera, an 18-year-old whose fastball can already hit 100 mph, has gotten roughed up a bit so far but still leads Greenville in innings pitched (20.2).

As far as position players go, Miguel Bleis has begun to recapture his impressive power, leading the team with four home runs. Franklin Arias, who ranks as Boston’s No. 4 prospect and is widely regarded as a top-100 prospect in MLB, was recently promoted to Greenville and already has two home runs in his first six games at High-A. Prior to his promotion Arias was batting .346 in 19 games at Low-A.

Antonio Anderson’s first full season of professional baseball wasn’t anything to write home about. The 2023 third-round pick batted .186 with a .581 OPS over 108 games at Low-A Salem, and for long stretches the infielder looked overmatched at the plate.

That certainly hasn’t been the case so far this year.

Entering the week Anderson was Salem’s top hitter, batting .345 with two home runs, 17 RBI, 18 runs scored and a .924 OPS through his first 22 games. He has been one of the organization’s most improved position players, and if he keeps up his current pace he will most likely join Arias in Greenville before long.

Salem’s other most intriguing position players have been Freili Encarnacion and Yoeilin Cespedes, both top recent international free agent signings. Encarnacion is batting .277 with a team-high four home runs through 23 games, and while Cespedes’ numbers haven’t stood out through the first month, he has seen regular playing time after seeing his season end prematurely last season due to a broken hamate bone.

Joe Vogatsky, the pitching prospect acquired for Enmanuel Valdez last offseason, currently leads Salem with 23 strikeouts in 17.1 innings. Shea Sprague, a Hanover native and a 13th round pick in last year’s draft, has 21 strikeouts through his first 16 innings.

Justin Gonzales only just made his debut stateside in the Florida Complex League on Saturday, but the hulking 18-year-old slugger has already made a strong impression with the Red Sox.

Signed as an international free agent in January 2024, Gonzales was Boston’s top player in the Dominican Summer League last season and was honored as the organization’s Latin Program Player of the Year. He’s continued making an impact in his second season as a professional, playing in both the Spring Breakout game and the Futures at Fenway South game in the spring while smashing a towering home run over the JetBlue Park Monster in the latter.

Gonzales was recently highlighted by Baseball America as a player to watch in the Florida Complex League, saying the teenager has regularly posted 110 mph exit velocities while projecting he’ll be among the top players in rookie ball this summer. Though still years away from the majors, Gonzales passes the eye test and will be one to keep an eye on in the coming seasons.