Red Sox Reportedly ‘Increasingly Comfortable’ With Prospect Starting Season In MLB

It wasn’t even two full years ago that the Boston Red Sox drafted Kristian Campbell in the fourth round of the MLB draft.

Yet, Campbell might have the best chance out of any Red Sox prospect, including Roman Anthony, to start the 2025 season in the big leagues.

For Campbell, who is only 22 years old and has only one full season of minor league ball under his belt, making Boston’s Opening Day roster seems more like a possibility due to a report from The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

“The Sox have said publicly that Campbell will get an opportunity to compete for the everyday job at second base,” Speier wrote. “Team officials seem increasingly comfortable with the idea of Campbell opening the season in the big leagues — whether at second, in the outfield, or as a versatile contributor.”

The questions surrounding what the Red Sox will do at second base open up the possibility of Campbell winning that job.

He’ll have to beat out Vaughn Grissom, who didn’t inspire much confidence in his first season with the Red Sox after being traded for Chris Sale. Grissom battled hamstring injuries last season and spent much of the campaign with Triple-A Worcester. When Grissom was in the majors, he didn’t perform well, batting just .190 in 31 games.

There is also Alex Bregman to consider. The Red Sox could move the Gold Glove-winning third baseman to second if they sign him, but it feels like the two sides could be at an impasse in stagnated contract talks.

If Bregman opts to go elsewhere and Grissom doesn’t show well in spring training, then the Red Sox might just have to go with Campbell at second.

Campbell, who is ranked as the fourth-best prospect in the sport by Baseball America, is the definition of a fast riser as he shot up Boston’s farm system in 2024, playing at three different levels, including Triple-A. He finished the campaign batting a combined .330 with 20 home runs, 77 RBIs and 24 stolen bases to earn Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year honors.

It certainly feels like Campbell will get a shot to showcase his talent in the big leagues this season. It just depends if it will come on Opening Day or in the middle of the season.