2025 In A Discarded-On-The-Dugout-Floor Nutshell
After spending over a year with a giant up-arrow attached to him, Kristian Campbell encountered numerous challenges at the big league level. A second-half surge in the minor leagues should provide continued hope for his future in Boston.
The Good
For starters, Campbell made the team out of camp, which felt like a decision that was made prior to spring training since Campbell didn’t exactly kick the door down in March. The team got a good look at Campbell, who had the most plate appearances on the team in the spring (59),
and his slash line was just .167/.305/.271 with 1 home run and 2 RBI (although he finished strong with a two-game performance in Mexico that didn’t count in the spring training stats). His incredible rise through the minor league system in 2024, from High-A up to Triple-A, weighed more than the spring performance did. Campbell was given the starting second base job that many thought would go to Alex Bregman when he signed.
Days later, the team further showed its belief in Campbell by inking the 22-year-old to an eight-year, $60 million rookie deal, with two additional club options for 2033 and 2034.
This deal already looked like a bargain after five weeks. In 29 games from March 27 through April 29, Campbell sported a .313/.420/.515 slash line, eight doubles, four home runs, 12 RBI, and 18 runs, good for a 159 wRC+. He even walked 16.0% of the time through that date.
The Bad
And that April 29th date was a clear delineation of where “The Good” came to a grinding halt. The assumption is that Campbell injured his ribs somehow the next day, as he then missed the first three games in May.
From that point forward, Campbell had a slugging percentage of just .215. He couldn’t pull the ball, he didn’t hit the ball hard, and every metric at the plate cratered.
How much of that was teams having “a book” on Campbell after a strong first month, and how much was a result of injury, is impossible to tell. If it was the ribs, Campbell didn’t make any excuses. When asked in late May, Campbell said, “No. That’s all clear. There was just a little side discomfort, but it’s all good. I haven’t dealt with that since it happened and it’s gone away.”
It was clear from day one that Campbell was not yet a major league-caliber second baseman, but the team hoped that his defense would eventually catch up to his bat. Once neither was happening, he was demoted to Worcester on June 18. Campbell had a negative-8 Outs Above Average, 4th percentile in MLB, along with a 15th percentile Arm Strength.
Best Game or Moment
On May 13th, Campbell hit a two-run, extra-innings home run at Detroit that gave the team the lead, for the time being. The excitement on Campbell’s face as he turned to the dugout is a reminder of what a joy it was to watch him when things were going right.
(Not pictured: the three-run walkoff home run by Javy Baez in the bottom of the inning)
The Big Question
What is Kristian Campbell’s position?
With the major league club, Campbell played 59 games at second base, seven games in center field, and two games in left field. With Worcester, after his demotion, he played 32 games at first base, 11 games at second base, 22 games in the outfield, and nine games at designated hitter. Upon demotion, Campbell spent a lot of time working at first base. His appearances there dwindled as the season went on, especially once the big league club had a clear Nathaniel Lowe / Romy Gonzalez platoon that they were comfortable with.
On one hand, the Red Sox could have an entirely new starting infield next season, in which one would think Kristian Campbell would play a role. On the other hand, he hasn’t looked great at first or second base defensively, and it feels to me like he’s going to end up in the corner outfield, where the team already has plenty of options.
2026 and Beyond
While much of the discussion with the 2026 roster surrounds the opt-outs of Alex Bregman (yes) and Trevor Story (maybe), as well as which outfielder(s) could be moved in a trade for pitching, Kristian Campbell’s name is not penciled in anywhere. Campbell finished the minor league season strong, hitting .306 with 7 home runs and a 133 wRC+ over the final two months of the season. Nonetheless, his name was not called in September or October to help out a major league lineup that was anemic at times, post-Roman Anthony. The team seemingly decided that it was more important for his long-term growth to finish the season on a high note with confidence entering next season. Campbell is here for seven, and maybe even nine years if his options are picked up, and his name should continue to be mentioned as part of this team’s core heading into 2026.
