Lofty expectations can destroy small positives. They make it hard to see steps in the right direction as a good thing if the player isn’t living up to the superstar fans were promised.
That’s what happened with Kristian Campbell this year. After signing a long-term deal with the Boston Red Sox at the start of the 2025 season, he had a phenomenal April. Following an injury, his production fell off a cliff. The team sent him to Triple-A in June to sort things out, and he has yet to return.
The 2026 season was actually a huge positive, though. Campbell struggled through the first three months of the season, holding a .626 OPS through July 1. It was clear he was still trying to get comfortable with a new swing/approach at the plate.
The right-handed hitter finished the year with a .256/.353/.380 slash line. That’s a .763 OPS. It’s still nothing spectacular, but it’s a huge jump to make over the final two months of the season. Campbell saw his exit velocity rise, his walks stay high, and his strikeouts drop. Everything started to work. Even his defense in the outfield was improving.
Where does Kristian Campbell fit in the picture for the 2027 Red Sox?
The Red Sox seemed to abandon the idea of Campbell in the infield last season. Yes, he was very bad metrically in 2025. But it was still surprising considering the logjam in the outfield and the need for infielders.
However, it's possible they did it so he could focus on his swing and not have to worry about defense as much. With the swing seemingly figured out, maybe he can go back to the infield a bit? If not, will the outfield logjam be solved?
Does any of that even matter, though? Where does Campbell fit in?
The Red Sox need to make moves this offseason. I’m not even talking about additions (which they need), but internally as well. What are they doing with the outfield? They can’t have all those outfielders on the roster heading into 2027. The obvious move would be to part ways with Jarren Duran. If they can also send off Masataka Yoshida, that wouldn’t be bad. Meanwhile, the infield will be adding Curtis Mead and Franklin Arias.
Campbell made strides during the 2026 season. They weren’t enough to find his way back to the team, though.
He’ll be in Fort Myers with a chance to make some waves. However, unless the Red Sox clear space for him, it feels like an uphill battle. Campbell could wind up as a depth piece on the roster or even back in Worcester with a clear path to Boston.
That being said, he’s in a better spot than he was last season. Heading into 2026, we knew Campbell was going to be reworking everything. Now, the work has been done. He just needs to establish himself as someone who can positively impact the team. As a right-handed bat who can draw walks, he certainly will get every opportunity to prove he can.
Even if Campbell isn’t on the Opening Day roster, he’ll be a factor in the 2027 Red Sox. There are fans who are down on him. I get it; the Red Sox gave him an extension, and it immediately looked like it backfired. However, Campbell's career is still extremely young. There’s a reason scouts were calling him one of the best prospects they have ever seen. The talent is there. The work ethic is there. Now he just needs the opportunity again.
Don’t expect a big impact from Campbell on day one in 2027, but it’s coming.
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