Kristian Campbell reportedly makes Red Sox Opening Day roster
Kristian Campbell will start his 2025 season in the big leagues for the Boston Red Sox. The No. 7 overall prospect in baseball has reportedly been told he's made the Red Sox Opening Day roster, according to Sean McAdam and Christ Cotillo of Mass Live.
Campbell will likely be Boston's starting second baseman when the Red Sox begin the season Thursday afternoon against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. He was told the good news Sunday before the team arrived in Monterrey, Mexico for a pair of exhibition games against Sultanes de Monterrey, according to Mass Live.
It will cap off an incredible rise through the Boston system for the 22-year-old Campbell, which began in Single-A just one year ago. He started the final three games of the team's exhibition season this spring, and though he struggled at the plate with just a .174 average, Campbell showed off some stellar defense in the field throughout the spring.
Campbell is just one of Boston's "Big Three" prospects along with Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer. Anthony and Mayer are expected to start the 2025 season in Triple-A Worcester.
Who is Kristian Campbell?
The Red Sox drafted Campbell in the fourth round of the 2023 draft out of the Georgia Institute of Technology. He tore it up at every level in the minor leagues in 2024, slashing .330/.439/.558 across three levels -- Single-A Greenville, Double-A Portland, and Triple-A Worcester -- to earn Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year honors.
Second base has been his primary position in the Red Sox system, with Campbell playing 51 games at the spot, but he also saw action at shortstop (36 games) and center field (25 games) along with a few appearances at third base and in left field. He could potentially play some outfield for Boston depending on matchups.
Campbell was quiet with the bat for most of the spring, which included an 0-for-11 start with eight strikeouts, but has shown improved discipline at the plate over the last several weeks. He also showed some flashy defense with an improved range in the field, which helped pave his way to the Major Leagues.
If Alex Cora pencils Campbell into Boston's Opening Day lineup later this week, he'll be the youngest Red Sox player (at 22 year, 272 days) to start on Opening Day since Rafael Devers in 2019.
