Red Sox Rookie Kristian Campbell Making Waves: His Cards
Kristian Campbell is on his way. Early reports suggest that the #7 MLB Pipeline prospect has put together an impressive offseason in Fort Myers, and has a chance to play a role at the big-league level this season. He will be Boston's starting second baseman, the only question is, when?
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Of course, even good news can create problems. The Red Sox are already dealing with franchise player Rafael Devers' seeming refusal to move to DH from the hot corner after Boston signed Gold Glove Third Baseman Alex Bregman to a 3-year, $120 million dollar deal. Bregman has signalled he is happy at second. Which may put out the fire for now. But, what happens when it's Campbell's time comes? And what if it's soon?
Per this Ian Brown article over at MLB.com, Campbell has impressed Red Sox brass, seemingly going to another level, even after he raced through the ranks of the organization, culminating in his winning Baseball America's 2024 Minor League Player of the Year. As reported by Brown, Red Sox Senior Director of Player Development Brian Abraham said, “He spent the entire offseason here in Fort Myers. He's added good weight, he's added strength, he's added bat speed. He continues to improve on the defensive side with versatility and his ability in the dirt. So we're just really excited about where he is, and he's made good progress and continues to work hard."
Manager Alex Cora said, "“His physicality, just the way he moves, too. It’s different." Given Campbell's meteoric rise, from the 4th round of the 2023 Draft to knocking on Fenway's front door, it's hard to say exactly what his ceiling is. After all, as Brown noted Campbell was 30th out of 30 on Boston's MLB Pipeline list, this time last year. All he did was go out in his first year in the minors and put up .330/.439/.558 to go along with 20 home runs, 24 bags, and 142 hits in 115 games. How far can Campbell go?
Scouting grades (MLB.com): Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 60 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 60
Kristian Campbell may just be on the rise, on the field and in The Hobby. February 5th saw the biggest sale of a Kristian Campbell 1st Bowman, per Card Ladder. A PSA 9 2023 Bowman Chrome Draft Red Refractor Auto 1st Bowman /5 sold for $6,499. Small sample size alert! A PSA 9 of the same card sold for $3,000 as recently as mid-September of last year, while his 2023 Bowman Draft Superfractor Auto/1 sold for $3,000 last May. Just last week, a /50 PSA 10 fetched $4,000.
While we can't draw any firm conclusions on such small top-end card movement, for comparison sake, let's look at fellow Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony. Anthony, is MLB Pipeline's #2 prospect, with a grade of 65. Campbell comes in at #7, with a grade of 60. A PSA 10 of Anthony's 2023 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autograph Red Refractor /5 sold for $25,712 on February 13. A PSA 10 /25 version of the card went for $10,000 on February 1. The same card and grade went for under $6,000 in September 2023. The market seems to be moving in belief that the buzz surrounding these two Red Sox prospects suggests big things. While Anthony has drawn more attention overall than Campbell, the second baseman's meteoric rise and the rave reviews in the early days of camp should be exciting for Campbell holders.
This 2023 Panini Elite Extra Edition Kristian Campbell Prime Numbers Auto /60 Kristian Campbell sold for $125.45 on February 9, the top sale for a signed version of this card. A /399 went for $60 on January 31. Looking at Card Ladder's Campbell sales, it's clear that he's on the upswing. As recently as last summer, the /399's could be had for single digits.
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An upswing followed Campbell's Baseball America's 2024 Minor League Player of the Year Award. Now, with the beginning of camp, and the increase in media coverage that follows, the market is busy trading Campbell cards at all sorts of price points. But, if the hype continues, and Campbell can back it up with a great Spring, the market may be just getting started.
Michael Terry is a writer based in Brooklyn. He specializes in sports, culture, and collecting. His work has appeared at Topps RIPPED, ESPN, Grantland, Vice Sports, and more.