Red Sox
Kristian Campbell was unstoppable last summer.
Drafted by Boston within the fourth round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Georgia Tech, Campbell was considered a solid contact hitter whose versatility could make him a invaluable asset on Alex Cora's roster when the time comes.
At least that was the mood before last yr.
In a Red Sox farm system stuffed with young talent, Campbell has quickly established himself as a possible pillar of the franchise alongside Roman Anthony – thanks largely to a meteoric rise within the eyes of talent evaluators.
And if the 2024 campaign was any indication, Campbell's blistering performance on the plate might have been etched into the Red Sox' lineup card as early as Opening Day.
“Absolutely — that’s the goal,” Campbell said of breaking camp with the Red Sox throughout the Red Sox Rookie Development Program on Tuesday. “That was the goal all along, to keep up. I love competing. Baseball is about competing. I think that’s one of my goals.”
Although Anthony is taken into account baseball's No. 1 prospect within the eyes of Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus, Campbell isn't far behind.
Baseball America named Campbell Prospect of the Year for the 2024 season, while Baseball Prospectus listed him because the No. 3 prospect in baseball for the approaching season.
All it takes is a fast glance at Campbell's stat line to see why the infielder's stock has skyrocketed in a brief time period.
In only one season, Campbell rose from High-A Greenville to Triple-A Worcester, slashing .330/.439/.558 with 20 home runs, 32 doubles, 77 RBI and 24 steals across three levels and 115 total games.
While his aggressive swing resulted in a high contact rate against college competition, the Red Sox development team placed emphasis on Campbell gaining more power through these powerful hacks.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound slugger may not have probably the most imposing frame, but his high contact rate and high bat speed ensured he was successful pitching at almost every level.
“I think he was talking about his power. He’s really strong,” Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham said Tuesday. “He hits baseball really hard, but the power came a little later in his career for him.
“Being able to consistently hit the ball in the air, on the pull side, but still being able to manipulate the barrel to be able to hit the ball the other way was something I know he can do really attached great importance to it. And hey, if you hit the ball over the fence, that's something we really like and we can get you a spot somewhere in the lineup.”
Campbell may be throwing pitches into the Green Monster's spots as early as April.
Aside from the fact that Campbell seemingly thrived at every level of competition last season (.362 batting average in Portland, 17 RBI in 19 games with Worcester), his profile and positioning could accelerate his path to the big leagues ahead of Anthony.
With the Red Sox both needing more power on the right side and lacking a proven option at second base, Anthony could make a push for regular MLB relief work this spring if he performs well down in Fort Myers.
Even if Boston were to address some critical deficiencies in its lineup by signing a right-handed infielder like Alex Bregman, Campbell could also be moved to a corner outfield spot if his bat provides enough value.
“Kristian continues to improve, keeps getting better, getting stronger, hitting the baseball hard, playing good defense,” Abraham said. “The versatility he offers defensively has been really great.
“So we’re excited to see what he continues to do and what he continues to improve on. And I know that for him, the challenge of getting better every day is an important part of what he believes in.”
It's been a tumultuous yr for Campbell, who was once traded because the thirtieth overall prospect to Boston (not the MLB) in June. Now he could quickly turn into a crucial cog in Cora's squad in only a couple of months.
For Campbell, the priority just isn’t to vary an excessive amount of, despite the added pressure and hype.
It's hard to argue with the outcomes to this point.
“It's really just a matter of keeping it as simple as possible and not overthinking it,” Campbell said. “Baseball will be baseball. There are a lot of ups and downs, but if you stay right in the middle and stay narrow-minded, everything will be fine.”
image credit : www.boston.com