Hard-hitting prospect Kristian Campbell is promoted by the Red Sox to Double-A Portland.
Originally published on Red Sox Blogging
By Brendan Campbell; last modified on June 2, 24
According to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe, the Red Sox are promoting fellow prospect Kristian Campbell from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as Matthew Lugo moves up to Triple-A Worcester.
Born in Georgia Tech, Campbell, who turns 22 later this month, is having a great first full season in the major leagues after being selected by the Red Sox in the summer draft. The batter was a right-hander.306/.418/.558 over 40 games (177 plate appearances) with 13 doubles, eight home runs, 25 RBIs, 29 runs scored, three stolen bases, 26 walks, and 47 strikeouts for the Drive to start the 2024 season.
An image of the Greenville Monster!
Undoubtedly, Kristian Campbell’s eighth home run of the year completed a 3-for-5 day. tweet.com/K7sAA0gwTi
— May 30, 2024, Red Sox Player Development (@RedSoxPlayerDev)
According to MiLB.com’s leaderboards, Campbell is ranked seventh among 70 South Atlantic League qualified hitters in terms of batting average and total bases (82), third in terms of on-base percentage and extra-base hits (21), second in terms of slugging percentage, first in terms of OPS (.976), fourth in terms of isolated power (.252), and 15th.
This season, Campbell has primarily split his playing time between center field and second base on defense. With Greenville, the adaptable 6-foot-3, 191-pound player made one start at third base and did not make a mistake at either position. He has also played both corner outfield positions in the past.
The Red Sox selected Campbell, a native of Georgia, with the 132nd overall pick in the amateur draft of 2023. The club was compensated with that same pick the previous offseason after losing Xander Bogaerts to the Padres in free agency.
After a brief stint in the Florida Complex League, Campbell signed a $492,700 contract with the Red Sox in July and was a key player in Greenville’s 2023 South Atlantic League championship. The 21-year-old spent the most of the previous offseason in Fort Myers, where he showed off eye-popping exit velocity at the plate, which earned him a lot of acclaim during spring training. As a result, Baseball America now has him listed as the No. 30 prospect in Boston’s organizational system.
It will be intriguing to watch how Campbell responds to tougher competition in Portland, as was the case with Lugo in Worcester. Nevertheless, he becomes a part of a loaded Sea Dogs lineup that now features players like Nick Yorke, Eddinson Paulino, Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, Luis Perales, Kyle Teel, and Wikelman Gonzalez.
