Boston Red Sox fans have been given a lot to look forward to during spring training, with the arrivals of Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, Alex Bregman and more.
But plenty of Sox fans are just as excited to see where the "Big Three" prospects will land to start the 2025 season. Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer have all been in the throes of position battles that are near their end as Opening Day looms.
Despite his excellent spring training, the chances Mayer lands on the Opening Day roster were always slim. The shortstop has never appeared in Triple-A and the Red Sox are likely to give him reps there before bringing him up to the big leagues.
Anthony and Campbell have already excelled with Worcester, to the tune of .344/.463/.519 and .286/.412/.486 slash lines, respectively. Still, a recent quote from Red Sox manager Alex Cora could suggest they'll return to the minor leagues to start the season, although nothing is confirmed yet.
The skipper said it's "fair to say" that none of the Big Three will make the Opening Day roster without an everyday role on the team. Ian Browne of MLB.com shared more of his thoughts:
"...playing time is important, the development of the player is important, but I think winning games right now is more important," Cora said.
Alex Cora quote reveals where Red Sox 'Big Three' prospects may land to start the season
Nobody from the Big 3 is making the team unless they have a regular role, correct?
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) March 16, 2025
Alex Cora:
“I think it's fair to say it. There’s still development, but at the same time you see it. But that at-bat yesterday by Roman against the lefty, that was a mature bat, and we've seen…
Anthony and Mayer don't yet have a path to everyday roles with the Red Sox and will likely get the most playing time in Triple-A this coming season. Trevor Story is expected to be Boston's everyday shortstop, barring any unforeseen impacts on his health. The Sox's outfield is also packed with Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Rob Refsnyder and Masataka Yoshida already vying for playing time.
Of the Big Three, Campbell may have the best chance to make the Opening Day roster, as many experts predicted earlier this winter. He appeared in Boston's March 11 spring training game at second base alongside the rest of the likely big league roster.
Multiple reports have suggested that Campbell isn't ready for the major leagues and that his defense isn't where it needs to be to land a starting job, but Boston may not have much of a choice (subscription required). Masataka Yoshida may start the season on the injured list, which would move Rafael Devers to designated hitter and Alex Bregman to third base. Yoshida can swing, though, and the only thing keeping him slow-played is his throwing progression — he hasn't thrown at 100 percent effort since he underwent labrum surgery this offseason.
The Red Sox still have time to decide that Yoshida will open the season at DH with Devers at third base and Bregman at second, but the former Astro hasn't played second base in game action all spring, so such a move seems unlikely. Nick Sogard and David Hamilton are older and have more MLB experience than Campbell, but his inclusion in Boston's March 11 lineup with the rest of the big leaguers suggests the Sox are leaning towards him in the infield.
Still, after Cora's comments, it wouldn't be shocking to see the Big Three land in Worcester at the start of the 2025 season. Even if the Red Sox think they need more time to develop before they're ready for the major leagues, it surely won't be long before Anthony, Campbell and Mayer all graduate to playing at Fenway together.