The Boston Red Sox’s roster has begun taking shape as the MLB spring training schedule nears its final stretch. Several Red Sox players have caught manager Alex Cora’s eye throughout the early exhibition slate, including top second baseman prospect Kristian Campbell.
Campbell — Boston’s No. 2 prospect on MLB.com — has done all of the right things this spring and is in legitimate contention for an Opening Day roster spot. Having said that, where the 22-year-old rising star will play has been up for debate as he’s more than capable of spending innings at second base and in the outfield.
After some thought, Cora finally put an end to that discussion over the weekend.
Red Sox News: Kristian Campbell to Play Second Base Going Forward
Cora addressed Campbell’s playing future while speaking with the media on Sunday morning. According to The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey, Cora revealed that Campbell will be moved from left field to second base going forward this spring.
Campbell has spent slightly more time in the infield than the outfield this spring, playing 30 innings at second base compared to 21 in left field. Cora and his coaching staff clearly saw enough from the Chattanooga, TN native during that stretch to announce that 2B will be his main priority.
Second base is where Campbell spent most of the 2024 campaign, playing 310 1/3 innings at the position across three minor-league levels. He played to a .980 fielding percentage while recording 49 putouts, 98 assists, and 15 double plays while only committing three errors.
Although his defense impressed Red Sox fans last year, so did Campbell’s offense. The former 2023 fourth-rounder’s bat was extremely productive in his first full-length season as he registered 20 home runs, 77 RBIs, and 74 walks while slashing .330/.439/.558 in 115 games.
Unfortunately, Campbell’s bat hasn’t found similar success this spring. He’s only tallied four hits with 11 strikeouts in 26 at-bats, prompting Cora to call out his star prospect last week. Hopefully, the Red Sox 2B will heed his manager’s words by being more selective at what he swings at.
Otherwise, continuing to rack up strikeouts could cause Campbell to start the year in the minors.
Fortunately, the 22-year-old prospect still has about two weeks to make his case to be in the Opening Day lineup. He has all the potential to be a big-league contributor, and it’s up to him to prove it consistentlyasis this spring.
Campbell’s next shot at proving himself to Cora will come when the Red Sox face the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday at 1:05 p.m. ET.
