Article: Kristian Campbell Won The Second Base Job Because of His Mental Fortitude and Work Ethic

[Nick John]

Red Sox top prospect Kristian Campbell won the second base job right out of spring camp. He's making lots of fans, both inside and outside of Boston's locker room.

The Boston Red Sox have had a rough few seasons, but it has led to one positive thing for the team: a loaded farm system.

Many know about the growth of the Red Sox farm system under Chaim Bloom and now Craig Breslow, Through what had been three turbulent seasons has now given way to excitement and wonder as the top prospects are now knocking at the door of the big leagues. Finally, one of them finally knocked that door down.

Kristian Campbell played his first major league game on Opening Day for the Red Sox, and it brings up the question if he was ready for it. Through all of spring training, it was the worst kept secret that the Red Sox wanted him on the Opening Day roster, but while he struggled to begin camp, others were playing much better. Because of that, it took until the very end of spring training for the team to announce who the second base starter would be.

In 20 games played this spring, Campbell did not play his best, especially at the start of it. Across 48 at-bats, the rookie only managed to hit .167/.305/.271 with 18 strikeouts. One thing that was for certain, though, was that the kid had a good grasp on the strike zone thanks to his 10 walks.

His defense was also questioned, the young player looking uncomfortable at second with the way he moved around the bag. That was only natural considering he was originally drafted as a shortstop and only started a total of 49 games at second base in the minors. Despite that, as he got more playing time at the position, he looked more natural there and quieted the concerns that maybe he wasn’t a good defensive second baseman.

Despite his struggles offensively and questions about his defense, Campbell didn’t falter. He didn’t quit and he didn’t make excuses. He just put his head down and continued to work on his game each day to prove he belonged. And that was what Campbell has been known for, working hard and shattering expectations. Last season in the minors, he started at High-A Greenville and forced his way up to Worcester to finish the season. Overall, he managed to slash .330/.439/.558 and put his name into the conversation as one of the top prospects in baseball.

Entering this season, he made it as high as fourth on some top prospect lists, showing his immense growth and incredible talent. His struggles in spring training didn’t dim those expectations from fans and the organization alike; it did, however, increase the question of whether he was ready for the major leagues just yet.

Add to it that his teammate and fellow "Big 3" member Marcelo Mayer was playing phenomenal baseball during spring training, and the questions started to change from “should Campbell make the team” to “Mayer should be considered for the second base position”. And you couldn’t really argue against it. Mayer was raking at the plate while Campbell continued to struggle.

In the end, the Red Sox liked what they saw from Campbell. They felt his at-bats were better than what the results showed and felt comfortable with his defense. They made him the starting second baseman, leading to a divide among the fans debating whether or not he should have made the team.

Honestly, it’s a simple answer: he deserves to be here.

In spring training, you don’t look at just the stats of the player. Otherwise, we would believe Trayce Thompson would be an MVP candidate. What matters is the process of how the at-bats went, how the plays were made. And, most importantly, how the players respond to the outcomes. Campbell got off to a rough start, but continued to work and fight in his opportunities as he showed his desire to fight back against the struggles and grow. He really managed to show that he has the mental fortitude to handle rough stretches and not press even worse.

Kristian Campbell is a major league player, and it’ll show as the season progresses. He will struggle at points — it’s only natural for a 23-year-old to do so. However, he’ll manage to fight his way out of those struggles, he’ll grow from them, and become a better player than he was before. In a lot of ways, he could be similar to another second baseman when it comes to being mentally strong: Dustin Pedroia.

Everyone needs to remember that in his rookie season Pedroia struggled early on, but once he got acclimated to the major league level, he turned his entire season around. Campbell could be the same, or with his talent, even better. He's played just a few games in the major leagues thus far, and has had a few moments of looking nervous, but overall, he deserves the shot to prove that he belongs in the starting lineup.

In fact, in Saturday's game, he made good on his promise with his first big league homer.

So, if Campbell goes through a rough stretch, we need to remember he’s young and this is his first time facing this level of talent. He’s shown his entire career that he’ll adapt and grow, capable of becoming a better player than he previously was. The Red Sox made the right choice in naming him the starting second baseman. Sooner or later, everyone will agree.

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[Brandon Glick]

That home run yesterday was good to see. I hope they give him a long leash this year at second base. He's got the goods to be the answer there for a long time.