Kristian

Campbell

It’s been a rough couple months for Campbell, who opened last year as Boston’s starting second baseman and signed a eight-year, $60 million long-term extension just six days into the season. He hit a rough patch after a strong start to his rookie campaign and was demoted to the minors for good by mid-June after hitting .223/.319/.345 with six homers and two steals across 67 games. The 23-year-old former top prospect struggled this spring, hitting just .220 (9-for-41) with one homer and an 11/2 K/BB ratio over 18 Grapefruit League contests, and was never really in the mix to break camp in the big leagues. There’s certainly enough talent here to envision Campbell re-emerging as an impactful fantasy contributor at some point in the future. He’ll spend some time back in the minors working to re-discover the swing and approach that made him one of the top prospects in baseball entering last season.

He did reach on a HBP, so that was something. Campbell’s revamped swing has thus far earned him a .194/.264/.355 line in 34 plate appearances this spring. He’s struck out 11 times and walked once. There was never much chance of him breaking camp with the Red Sox, but it’d be nice to see him setting himself up to contribute at some point during the season. That’s not happening yet.

Campbell took a first-inning sweeper from Justin Verlander and hit it 394 feet at 101.9 mph off the bat for a home run. It’s been a slow spring for the 23-year-old, but he drastically overhauled his swing mechanics and stance in the offseason, and those things take time to click. He will most likely begin the season at Triple-A and continue to refine his new mechanics, but he still remains a high upside prospect and a potential buy in dynasty formats.

Campbell is expected to do drills at second and third with infield coach José Flores, but there’s no plan for game work at either position. It’d probably take an injury to an outfielder to give him any chance of making the Red Sox out of spring training, but it will be interesting to see what happens if returns to 2024 form in Triple-A.

Campbell is 6-for-28 with a 5/6 K/BB in eight games in Puerto Rico. The Red Sox have him focusing on the outfield, which wouldn’t seem to bode well for him making an impact early on next season. However, he probably has some work to do in Triple-A anyway after a rookie campaign in which he got off to a nice start but faded quickly.

Campbell struggled in his first taste of MLB action, but the former top-20 overall prospect has revamped his swing, simplifying his load and the jerky action of his arms. That and his adding muscle have the Red Sox betting on a bounce-back season. Campbell is now allegedly a full-time outfielder, and the Red Sox could trade Jarren Duran this offseason, which would open up a spot on the roster for Campbell in 2026.

It’s an encouraging development that the Red Sox are confident in the strides Campbell has made from a physical development standpoint this offseason after the front office attributed his struggles last season to unexpected weight loss. The 23-year-old former top prospect is expected to transition to a full-time outfield role moving forward and should get some extra reps this offseason in Puerto Rico before heading to spring training. He’s the type of post-hype prospect that fantasy managers should be monitoring closely in the coming months to determine whether the additional weight helps him re-discover his previous form that made him one of the most intriguing young hitters in the game.

The Red Sox had experimented with Campbell at both second base and first base this season, trying to find a way to get his bat in the lineup quickly by having him play a position of need. However, he struggled defensively at second base, and the constant position changes appear to have also impacted his offensive performance. The outfield is Campbell’s best position defensively, and the Red Sox could use his right-handed bat in a left-handed-heavy group. Of course, Campbell moving to the outfield full-time only pours more fuel on the fire of rumors that Jarren Duran will be traded this offseason.

Campbell is just 6'3" and 190 pounds, so he’s not a player who can afford to lose much weight, but he also has a “ferocious swing” that uses most of his body mass to create impactful contact. When his weight started to dip, his exit velocities also decreased. Abraham mentioned that a focus for Campbell this offseason is “getting back the strength that allowed him to impact the baseball the way he could.” Campbell is expected to head to Fort Myers, Florida soon, where he will begin an offseason training program focused on adding weight and gaining strength. He could be a post hype candidate in 2026 if the Red Sox can find a defensive home for him.

That’s not to say that the 23-year-old infielder won’t get another opportunity with the big league club in September, it just won’t be right away. He has been on a serious heater over the past month at Triple-A Worcester though and could provide a nice spark to the Red Sox’ lineup if given the chance.