Has Kristian Campbell done enough to win a spot on Red Sox Opening Day roster?
Kristian Campbell rose up the minor league ranks for the Red Sox last year, and now he's flirting with a potential big-league job in Boston. With Opening Day just over a week away, Campbell just made his best case to get the starting second base job for the Red Sox.
On Monday, the 22-year-old was penciled in at the bottom of a Boston order that looked a lot like the lineup card Alex Cora could submit March 27 in Texas. That Campbell was among those eight projected Opening Day starters -- and got the nod at second base -- is certainly notable.
It's also notable that Campbell is back in the lineup Tuesday, batting second and playing second against the New York Yankees.
Is this a sign Campbell could crack the Opening Day roster? It seems like it's trending that way for the No. 7 prospect in all of baseball.
Kristian Campbell's Spring Training
Campbell is best known for his bat but has struggled at the plate this spring, slashing .167/.286/.222 with just six hits in his 36 at-bats entering Tuesday's action. It's a big drop from what he did last year, when Campbell slashed .330/.439/.558 across 115 games between Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A.
But given his success at every level last season, Campbell's bat should catch up soon enough. He showed signs of breaking out of the spring slump on Monday when he launched a double in his first at-bat and finished 1-for-3 at the plate in a 12-3 loss to the Orioles.
But most impressive was his defense at second, which included three diving stops and a handful of other solid plays over his nine innings of work in the field. The Red Sox won't need Campbell's bat in a fairly stacked lineup as much as they'll need his defense at second.
"He did a good job, made some plays," Cora said of Campbell's performance Monday. "It feels like he's getting comfortable. Put a good swing on the ball, and then the walk also, that was good."
Campbell can also play in the outfield, but has worked exclusively at second base this spring. And as for his quiet bat in Fort Myers, Cora doesn't sound particularly worried.
"As long as we swing at the right ones, that's the most important thing. That's kind of what he does. He hits the ball hard but he dominates the strike zone," said Cora. "At one point, he was just swinging. We want him to make sure he's still making good swing decisions. And when you do that over and over and over again, the results are going to come."
It certainly sounds like Cora is championing for Campbell to be his starting second baseman, and if the 2023 fourth-round pick keeps logging starts in the Grapefruit League, he could win the job before next Thursday. Even if he starts the season in the minors for some more seasoning, it seems like his shot in the big leagues is just around the corner.
Second base remains a question mark for the 2025 Red Sox with Alex Bregman locked in at third base and Rafael Devers at peace with being the team's DH. Campbell is still battling with David Hamilton (who started 28 games at second and 98 overall for Boston last season) and Vaughn Grissom to ultimately win the second base job.
Hamilton (who started at shortstop on Tuesday) would be a safe and steady play for the Red Sox, and the organization won't rush Campbell if it doesn't believe he's ready.
But Campbell's upside may ultimately win out. The kid is making a solid push at the right time to earn the job.
