How Kristian Campbell Turned The Red Sox's "Big 3" Into The "Big 4"

It was a 2-0 count with two runners in scoring position. Kristian Campbell was just looking for a pitch to barrel. Boy, did he get one. A middle-middle slider clocked at 80 MPH. Then Campbell did what he’s done all season. He hit the ball… really hard. A screaming missile over the left field wall to extend the Worcester Red Sox's lead in the 6th inning. 

It was the 22-year-old’s 20th home run of the year, across three levels of professional baseball. Campbell started the 2024 season at High-A Greenville, where he hit eight home runs and had a .976 OPS in 40 games. He was promoted to Double-A Portland where he became a menace on the base paths, swiping 17 bags with a .362 average in 56 games. Two weeks ago, Campbell was promoted to Triple-A Worcester and has not missed a beat. In 13 games, he’s hitting .300 with four home runs and three stolen bases. 

2024 season (A+, AA, AAA):
109 games, 93 R, 20 HR, 75 RBI, 23 SB, .334/.444/.573/1.017

In a world where Red Sox fans are banking on the ‘The Big 3” of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kyle Teel to return them to perennial contender status, it may be Kristian Campbell who provides a much-needed spark at a position that has been relatively sparkless since the days of the "Laser Show.” In fact, since Dustin Pedroia’s injury-plagued 2018 season, the Red Sox have had 37 players man second base. Of those who have played at least 20 games at the position, here are the players with the highest WAR:

With the Red Sox on track to miss the playoffs for the fifth time in six years and the lackluster acquisitions made last offseason in light of Tom Werner’s “full throttle” gaff, the pressure (both internal and external) on Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow will no doubt be ratcheted up to ten. 

Could Campbell be the centerpiece of a trade package to acquire a Tarik Skubal-esque ace in the off-season? 

Could there be an open competition at second base in the Spring between Campbell, speedster David Hamilton, a veteran free agency (Willy Adames, anyone?) and Vaughn Grissom (who’s hitting .300 so far in September)? 

Or could the Red Sox trade a major league piece and move Campbell off second base? He profiles at multiple positions due to his raw athleticism. Campbell played 36 minor league games at second base this year, compared to 31 at shortstop, 25 in center field and four at third base. If the last two weeks is any indication, Campbell has started seven games at shortstop and only two at second base. Right now he’s blocked by Trevor Story at shortstop with Marcelo Mayer waiting in the wings. He’s blocked in the outfield by Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and eventually, Roman Anthony.

The Red Sox have a gluttony of talent in the minor leagues, many of whom are poised to make the jump to Boston starting next season. They currently have six players on Baseball America’s Top 100 Rankings. 

Kristian Campbell ranks #25 in all of minor league baseball.

Campbell is proving he deserves to be in the same conversation as “The Big 3”. In their September update, SoxProspects.com moved Campbell ahead of Kyle Teel in the organizational rankings. It’s getting hard to argue:

Interested in learning more about the Boston Red Sox's top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!