The Boston Red Sox have one of the more interesting rosters heading into 2025, and it just got more interesting. According to Ari Alexander, prospect Kristian Campbell has made the Opening Day roster.
Campbell tore up the minor leagues last year en route to winning the Baseball America's minor league MVP award. The right-handed hitter began the year terrorizing in High-A, quickly mashed through Double-A, and finished raking in Triple-A.
Campbell slashed .330/.439/.558 with 32 doubles, three triples, and 20 home runs. He drove in 77 runs, scored 94 more, and stole 24 bases in 115 games.
Boston Red Sox prospect Kristian Campbell reportedly makes Opening Day roster
Entering spring training, it was known that Campbell had a legitimate shot at winning the starting second base job in camp. However, he started off March cold and began appearing in the outfield more often. Following the addition of Alex Bregman, paired with Campbell's struggles, those odds started to go down.
It felt like the Red Sox might be trending toward letting him get a little more seasoning in Triple-A.
Campbell started to heat up, then had a great showing in the Spring Breakout game. He hit his first spring training home run on March 22.
The Red Sox also started bringing out lineups on a nearly daily basis that saw Bregman at third (he's been there all spring) and Campbell at second. Was that a hint at things to come? It appears so.
For those excited, you should be. The praise of Campbell has been high over the last 12 months. He's impressed everyone who has come across him.
However, it's also important to remember that this is a 22-year-old who has 137 career games in the minor leagues; that's less than a full season. Campbell also started last year in High-A with Greenville. The experience against higher competition is minimal. I say all this to ask you all not to panic if he isn't putting up ridiculous stats after the first month or two of the season. Please be patient.
What you should expect from Kristian Campbell is good patience at the plate. He'll work counts, draw walks, and take violent hacks that lead to eye-popping home runs and hard-hit doubles. Campbell will give the Red Sox consistent defense at second base, and the versatility to move around (he has time in the outfield, shortstop, and third base). He'll drive in runs and might surprise some people with his ability to swipe some bags.
The Boston Red Sox are starting 2025 with a legitimate American League Rookie of the Year candidate in the lineup. His teammates and coaches love him. Despite his meteoric rise, Campbell's remained humble. It won't take long for fans not too familiar with him to love Kristian Campbell, too.