Boston Red Sox
“To be able to have the success in his career this early, it’s been a lot of fun to watch.”
Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony and the rest of the Team USA baseball squad were dressed appropriately with a title on the line on Tuesday in Miami.
Ahead of Tuesday’s World Baseball Classic final between the U.S. and Venezuela, Team USA arrived at LoanDepot Park wearing game-worn hockey sweaters from the U.S. men’s ice hockey team’s gold medal run at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
In fitting fashion, Anthony opted to wear Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy’s Team USA Olympics sweater as part of his arrival wardrobe. Yankees star Aaron Judge had on Team USA captain Auston Matthews’ sweater, while Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong wore golden-goal scorer Jack Hughes’ sweater.
“I just wanted to rep my guy [Hughes),” Crow-Armstrong said in a video posted by Fanatics. “We just want to continue the trend of winning here in the U.S. and let those guys know that they inspired us a little bit.”
Much like McAvoy’s critical role as Team USA’s go-to shutdown D-man during the Milano-Cortina Games, Anthony has emerged as a key cog for the U.S. during the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
A late addition to the U.S. roster, the 21-year-old Anthony is batting .318 through six tournament games with two home runs and a team-leading seven RBI. His solo shot on Sunday proved to be the game-winning run in Team USA’s 2-1 victory over the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic semifinal round.
If Team USA defeats Venezuela for its first WBC title since 2017, Anthony will receive heavy consideration for tournament MVP honors.
“He’s a stud. He’s so much fun to watch play,” Team USA first baseman Bryce Harper told The Boston Globe’s Tim Healey of Anthony’s play. “This game is in such a great place with young guys, with so many guys that love the game of baseball. He plays on such a big-market team in Boston. So to be able to have the success in his career this early, it’s been a lot of fun to watch.”
First pitch between Team USA and Venezuela is set for 8 p.m. on Tuesday night.
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