The Red Sox have informed top prospect Kristian Campbell that he has made the club’s Opening Day roster, as was first reported by Ari Alexander of KPRC 2.
Campbell, who is part of the group traveling to Mexico for an upcoming two-game exhibition series against the Sultanes de Monterrey, was told on Sunday that he will be on the 26-man roster when the Red Sox open the 2025 season against the Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on Thursday.
Campbell, one-third of Boston’s “Big Three” alongside outfielder Roman Anthony and infielder Marcelo Mayer, is expected to be the lone player without any prior major-league experience to make the team’s Opening Day roster, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam. The 22-year-old will need to be added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster before he can officially make his debut.
Unlike Anthony and Mayer, who are also traveling to Mexico but are expected to open the 2025 campaign at Triple-A Worcester, Campbell’s ascension to prospect stardom was rather unforeseen. The Georgia Tech product was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2023 draft and signed for $492,700. He debuted professionally in the Florida Complex League that August and reached High-A Greenville before the season ended.
As previously alluded to, Campbell entered his first full professional season with very little fanfare. Before breaking camp with Greenville last spring, the right-handed hitter had impressed on the back fields of Fenway South after spending much of the offseason in Fort Myers to work on improving his bat speed, strength, and swing path. Still, at this time last year, he was not viewed as one of Boston’s premier prospects.
That perception began to change quickly. Seeing the fruits of his labor, Campbell was promoted from Greenville to Double-A Portland in early June and then reached Worcester by late August. Between the three levels, he slashed a stout .330/.439/.558 with 32 doubles, three triples, 20 home runs, 77 RBIs, 94 runs scored, 24 stolen bases, 74 walks, and 103 strikeouts over 115 total games (517 plate appearances). Among other accolades, he was recognized as Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year, MiLB’s Hitting Prospect and Breakout Player of the Year, and the Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year.
Campbell took part in the Red Sox’ rookie development program over the winter and received his first invite to major-league spring training in January. He arrived at camp as an early favorite to emerge as the club’s everyday second baseman. After splitting time between second base, shortstop, third base, and center field in the minors last year, the versatile 6-foot-3, 210-pounder saw the majority of his reps this spring come at the keystone. Though he struggled some at the plate and batted just .167/.305/.271 in 20 Grapefruit League games (59 plate appearances), Campbell rallied down the stretch by connecting on his first home run of the spring on Saturday and putting together better at-bats over the last week or so.
Despite any concerns they may have about his ability to handle big-league pitching at the moment, the Red Sox — as noted by Cotillo and McAdam — are seemingly prepared to exercise patience with Campbell out of the gate this season as they work to determine his exact role. The possibility remains that the left-handed hitting David Hamilton could form a platoon of sorts with Campbell at second base. He is also expected to get some reps in left field after playing there on occasion throughout spring training.
Campbell, who turns 23 in June, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 4 prospect in the sport. Because he is also ranked within ESPN and MLB.com’s top 100 list, Campbell qualifies for the “Prospect Promotion Incentive,” which was introduced by Major League Baseball as part of the collective bargaining agreement that went into effect before the 2022 season.
If Campbell were to win the American League Rookie of the Year Award or finish in the top three of MVP voting this season, the Red Sox would receive a compensatory draft pick after the first round in 2026. If Campbell were not to win Rookie of the Year or finish in the top three of the MVP race in 2025, he would have two more chances to net a pick if he finishes in the top three of MVP voting in 2026 or 2027. He would become ineligible for an additional pick if he were to sign a long-term contract extension before debuting.
