As spring training nears with the start of the 2025 MLB season close behind, top prospect lists are dropping left and right. The Boston Red Sox's "Big Three" prospects are well represented.
MLB insider Kiley McDaniel of ESPN credited the Big Three with spots on his top 100 list, No. 2, No. 4 and No. 26 (subscription required). But Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer are not ranked in the order most fans would've expected. Campbell — who ranks as the No. 4 prospect according to Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus and No. 7 according to MLB Pipeline — was placed at No. 26 by McDaniel.
McDaniel suggests Campbell's swing mechanics may not offer him the same level of success in the big leagues as he's found in the minors. Campbell slashed an astounding .330/.439/.558 with a .997 OPS over 115 games, so his swing is clearly working for him so far. But McDaniel noted that his swing, in some ways, mirrors Javier Báez's, which, lately, is not a compliment.
McDaniel focused on Campbell's tendency to begin his swing with his bat straight up, vertically, at the moment he plants his foot. Báez does something similar, which creates a longer path for the barrel of the bat to reach the plate and often results in a lower launch angle.
MLB insider compares Red Sox prospect Kristian Campbell's swing to Javier Báez
There goes Kristian Campbell!
— Red Sox Player Development (@RedSoxPlayerDev) September 6, 2024
That one was 109 off the bat. pic.twitter.com/cQGEH4pkBw
Before the 2022 season, the Tigers signed Báez to a six-year, $140 million contract, which has already aged poorly. The infielder has slashed .221/.262/.347 with a .610 OPS in his first three seasons in Detroit, and his average has ticked down each year.
Again, Campbell's swing mechanics seem to be working just fine for him now. He's yet to see a pitch in the major leagues, which is the real test. If his bat path is too vertical to work in the majors, the Red Sox organization will surely work to rectify the issue, which is potentially fixable as noted by McDaniel.
As of now, though, McDaniel is one of the only top 100 prospect list authors to identify this issue with Campbell's swing as a big red flag. Campbell, the 2024 Minor League Player of the Year and Hitting Prospect of the Year, is otherwise so highly ranked across the board that Red Sox Nation shouldn't worry about his swing unless it becomes an issue against big league arms.