Kristian Campbell named to Purple Sox Opening Day roster
Purple Sox
Kristian Campbell has gone from a 2023 fourth-round decide to a big-league starter in lower than two years.
One of many Purple Sox’s high prospects is reportedly set to interrupt camp within the huge leagues.
Based on MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, Kristian Campbell has been knowledgeable that he has made the Purple Sox’s Opening Day roster, with Baseball America’s 2024 “Prospect of the Yr” capping his meteoric rise in Boston’s group by securing the staff’s beginning second baseman function.
Campbell has had an up-and-down spring coaching to this point with Boston, however a sustained surge over the ultimate weeks of Grapefruit League play put him within the driver’s seat for MLB reps proper out of the gate this season.
“The presumption round Purple Sox camp is that he shall be their second basemen [sic],” ESPN’s Buster Olney mentioned of Campbell on X Saturday.
Regardless of Campbell’s potential, he discovered himself within the midst of a crowded competitors for Boston’s beginning second baseman job alongside David Hamilton, Vaughn Grissom, and fellow high prospect Marcelo Mayer.
With Boston opting to shift Rafael Devers to DH and protecting Alex Bregman at third base, the door remained ajar for Campbell to make a push throughout camp, though the 22-year-old infielder stumbled out of the gate throughout spring coaching.
By means of 48 at-bats throughout spring coaching play, Campbell is simply batting .167 with one dwelling run and two RBI. However Campbell has began to string collectively stronger at-bats down the stretch for Boston, belting his first dwelling run of spring on Saturday whereas additionally displaying sound protection at second base.
Even with some potential rising pains for Campbell on the big-league degree, Alex Cora and Boston’s teaching employees appear intrigued by the slugging infielder’s ceiling, particularly as soon as he settles into this degree of competitors.
“Clearly we didn’t get an opportunity to work lots at second base final 12 months,” Purple Sox infield coach Jose Flores informed MassLive’s Christopher Smith. “That is the primary time all through spring coaching that we get to get some work completed. However he’s come a protracted methods. He’s really accepted the problem of making an attempt to get higher at that place and hopefully, have an opportunity making the massive league membership.
“So I feel he’s come a protracted methods, particularly turning double performs, which is definitely one thing that he wasn’t used to being on his blind aspect. I feel he’s come a protracted methods and feels a hell of much more comfy doing that.”
Drafted within the fourth spherical of the 2023 MLB Draft, Campbell has gone from a projected utility infielder right into a reputable drive within the coronary heart of a lineup briefly order. Tabbed as MLB.com’s No. 7 prospect, Campbell superior from Excessive-A Greenville to Triple-A Worcester in only one season.
Throughout the 2024 marketing campaign, Campbell slashed .330/.439/.558 with 20 dwelling runs, 32 doubles, 77 RBI, and 24 steals throughout three ranges and 115 whole video games.
Despite the fact that Campbell has solely logged 19 whole video games with Triple-A Worcester, it seems as if the Purple Sox are prepared to present certainly one of their high younger skills a reputable look.
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