4 Red Sox players that will benefit most from the World Baseball Classic

It's an exciting spring for baseball fans! The World Baseball Classic will be happening through the first half of March, pitting the best baseball players in the world against each other.

Not only is it an amazing experience for the players who get to represent their countries, but it also opens up playing time in normal spring training for fringe roster players.

The Boston Red Sox will have 13 representatives on the 40-man roster playing for 10 different countries. That includes all five of the outfielders/designated hitters on the roster, Willson Contreras, Ranger Suárez, Brayan Bello, Garrett Whitlock and Greg Weissert.

With that many everyday players headed to the tournament, there is going to be plenty of opportunity for some players to prove themselves to the front office and coaching staff. Here's who could take the biggest leaps with their increased playing time this spring.

4 Red Sox players that will benefit most from the World Baseball Classic

Kristian Campbell

Campbell is likely the biggest beneficiary of the WBC. The Sox have committed to him in the outfield for all games this spring, while saying he'll get work at second and third base in practice only. With Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Roman Anthony, Masataka Yoshida, and Nate Eaton all gone, he should play almost every game during that stretch.

Getting regular in-game reps should benefit him greatly with the move to the outfield this year. While the righty still doesn't have a spot on the roster past Opening Day, getting a chance to prove himself for a few weeks should get him first dibs at a call-up. 

Tyler Samaniego

The Red Sox acquired Samaniego this offseason as part of the five-player deal that sent Jhostynxon Garcia to Pittsburgh and brought Johan Oviedo to Boston. The Sox never addressed the bullpen with proven big league talent during the winter, despite letting Justin Wilson and Steven Matz leave. That opens the door for Samaniego and Jovani Morán to compete for the lefty spot in the pen, but Morán will be in the WBC.

The lefty Samaniego has yet to make his big-league debut, but the Pirates believed in him enough to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft before dealing him to Boston. Craig Breslow likely has a belief in his abilities if he didn't feel like he needed to bring in extra arms, despite having up to four lefties in the 'pen at times last year.

Kutter Crawford

Even though the Red Sox traded away six major league-ready starters over the offseason, they still have an abundance of them. Coming back from an injury-riddled 2025 that cost him the entire season, Crawford is now fighting for a spot in the rotation after an infusion of high-end talent. 

With Suárez and Bello both headed to the WBC, that will open up some starts for Crawford early in camp. The veteran righty is competing for the No. 5 spot with a few players. He'll have extra chances to prove he's healthy and back to the pitcher who made 33 starts and threw 183 innings two seasons ago.

Allan Castro

Castro will be another benefactor of all the outfielders playing in the WBC. The 22-year-old is currently the No. 20 prospect according to SoxProspects. He played all of 2025 in Double-A, and isn’t projected in the majors until 2027.

The Sox are going to need bodies in the outfield, though, and getting a young prospect ABs against major league caliber pitchers is always helpful. Even if it just aids in his development, he’s sure to gain something from extra playing time this spring.