Red Sox prospect Kristian Campbell is named Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year
Fast-rising Red Sox prospect Kristian Campbell was named the Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America.
Campbell saw a meteoric rise through the Red Sox system this season, hitting .330/.439/.558 with 20 homers and 24 steals in 115 games among High A Greenville, Double-A Portland, and Triple-A Worcester. His season came to an end in early September after he went on the WooSox’ 7-day injured list with a lat strain.
“His rise is atypical,” Geoff Pontes wrote in Baseball America. “Since the Prospect Handbook launched in 2001, Campbell is the first Minor League POY who did not rank among his organization’s preseason Top 30. This wasn’t a misevaluation by the entire industry, but rather a testament to Campbell’s work ethic and the advances in Red Sox hitting development.”
Once Campbell was with the WooSox, he hit .286/.412/.486 to go along with two doubles, four home runs, 17 RBIs, 17 runs scored, four stolen bases, 13 walks, and 18 strikeouts over 19 games.
“Seeing pitches at each level, you get better and better throughout the season,” Campbell said. “The competition is tougher. It’s not technically getting easier, though it can look like it does at times. It’s really about trying to stay as consistent as possible.”
Baseball America currently ranks Campbell as the No. 24 prospect in the game. The Georgia native is also joined by fellow Sox prospects Roman Anthony (No. 1), Marcelo Mayer (No. 10), Kyle Teel (No. 25), Braden Montgomery (No. 59), and Franklin Arias (No. 92) on Baseball America’s top 100 list.
“It just kind of all clicked at one time and happened this season pretty fast,” said Campbell to The Boston Globe. “I think it caught me off guard and caught some other people off guard, but it’s been cool. It’s been happening fast, but in a good way.
“I had a pretty good season, but it’s just a start. I’ve got to try to do it all again next year and the year after that.”
Campbell has played all over the field this season defensively, seeing time at second base, shortstop, third base, and center field. His versatility will be important as he moves into the 2025 season and is on the brink of helping the Red Sox.
“He’s the kind of guy who bought into the programming, bought into what he felt like he needed to improve and what we provided for him in terms of training and focus,” Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said of Campbell when speaking with Pontes. “He added about 15 to 20 pounds of muscle and strength. When we talk about impacting the baseball, that’s a big thing.”
Boston selected Campbell as the No. 132nd pick during the 2023 MLB draft.
