Red Sox Future Superstar Wins First MVP Award Before Major-League Debut

What a season for the rising star prospect...

Sep 20, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of Boston Red Sox hats and gloves at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

The hype around the Boston Red Sox farm system is at an all-time high, and deservedly so.

After several years of rebuilding under former president Chaim Bloom, the Boston farm is booming, particularly when it comes to position players. The consensus top four Red Sox prospects all progressed to Triple-A in 2024, and all four could make an impact in Major League Baseball soon.

Of those top four prospects, none has had a rise more meteoric than infielder/outfielder Kristian Campbell, the Red Sox's fourth-round pick in 2023 drafted as compensation for losing Xander Bogaerts in free agency.

Campbell did nothing but rip the cover off the baseball in 2024, earning two promotions in the process. As a right-handed batter with the ability to hit for power and average, Campbell looks like everything the Red Sox could want in a possible second baseman of the future.

On Tuesday, Minor League Baseball announced its year-end awards, and Campbell was named Eastern League Most Valuable Player. Fellow top Red Sox prospects Marcelo Mayer, Kyle Teel, and Roman Anthony were also all named Eastern League All-Stars.

Campbell was also named Baseball America's overall Minor-League Player of the Year on Tuesday, making it a banner day for the 22-year-old slugger.

Winning MVP in any league is impressive, but it's doubly impressive considering Campbell neither started nor ended his season in Portland. He began the year in High-A, performed so well that he won this award during his time in Double-A, then tore up Triple-A in the final month of the season.

In Portland, Campbell slashed a ridiculous .362/.463/.582 in 56 games, including eight home runs, 17 doubles, and 48 runs scored. His overall season OPS of .997 ranked first among all qualified minor-league hitters in 2024.

A lat strain ended Campbell's season last week, but that does nothing to temper the optimism for the rising star in 2025. With the second-base job wide-open at the major league level, Campbell should get a chance to make his MLB debut early next year, possibly even on Opening Day.

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