Red Sox
Kristian Campbell has gone from a 2023 fourth-round pick to a big-league starter in less than two years.
One of the Red Sox’s top prospects is reportedly set to break camp in the big leagues.
According to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, Kristian Campbell has been informed that he has made the Red Sox’s Opening Day roster, with Baseball America’s 2024 “Prospect of the Year” capping his meteoric rise in Boston’s organization by securing the team’s starting second baseman role.
Campbell has had an up-and-down spring training so far with Boston, but a sustained surge over the final weeks of Grapefruit League play put him in the driver’s seat for MLB reps right out of the gate this season.
“The presumption around Red Sox camp is that he will be their second basemen [sic],” ESPN’s Buster Olney said of Campbell on X Saturday.
Despite Campbell’s potential, he found himself in the midst of a crowded competition for Boston’s starting second baseman job alongside David Hamilton, Vaughn Grissom, and fellow top prospect Marcelo Mayer.
With Boston opting to shift Rafael Devers to DH and keeping Alex Bregman at third base, the door remained ajar for Campbell to make a push during camp, although the 22-year-old infielder stumbled out of the gate during spring training.
Through 48 at-bats during spring training play, Campbell is only batting .167 with one home run and two RBI. But Campbell has started to string together stronger at-bats down the stretch for Boston, belting his first home run of spring on Saturday while also displaying sound defense at second base.
Even with some potential growing pains for Campbell at the big-league level, Alex Cora and Boston’s coaching staff seem intrigued by the slugging infielder’s ceiling, especially once he settles into this level of competition.
“Obviously we didn’t get a chance to work a lot at second base last year,” Red Sox infield coach Jose Flores told MassLive’s Christopher Smith. “This is the first time throughout spring training that we get to get some work done. But he’s come a long ways. He’s actually accepted the challenge of trying to get better at that position and hopefully, have a chance making the big league club.
“So I think he’s come a long ways, especially turning double plays, which is actually something that he wasn’t used to being on his blind side. I think he’s come a long ways and feels a hell of a lot more comfortable doing that.”
Drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Campbell has gone from a projected utility infielder into a legitimate force in the heart of a lineup in short order. Tabbed as MLB.com’s No. 7 prospect, Campbell advanced from High-A Greenville to Triple-A Worcester in just one season.
During the 2024 campaign, Campbell slashed .330/.439/.558 with 20 home runs, 32 doubles, 77 RBI, and 24 steals across three levels and 115 total games.
Even though Campbell has only logged 19 total games with Triple-A Worcester, it looks as though the Red Sox are ready to give one of their top young talents a legitimate look.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.