Red Sox No. 2 Prospect Surprisingly Predicted To Wait Until 2028 For Oft-Debated Role

A lot can change in three seasons...

Kristian Campbell answers questions during the Red Sox Rookie Development Program media day at Fenway Park on Tuesday. / WooSox Photo/Ashley Green / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The timeline for the arrival and incorporation of the Boston Red Sox's current top three prospects into the starting lineup is one of the top storylines to watch for the 2025 season.

Unlike many teams with a high volume of top prospects, the Red Sox are looking to make a playoff run in 2025. That doesn't mean the youngsters won't get some runway to grow at the big-league level, but it does mean there aren't wide-open positions for them to take over.

Star outfielder Roman Anthony is in a deep position group behind Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu. Shortstop Marcelo Mayer is blocked by Trevor Story. Only Kristian Campbell has an obvious potential path to starting on Opening Day, but it's still a complicated one.

The Red Sox will either put Alex Bregman at third base and move franchise player Rafael Devers to designated hitter, which goes directly against Devers' wishes, or shift Bregman to second base, which will block the most direct route for Campbell to get into the lineup.

On Tuesday, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter predicted that Campbell will have to wait his turn--for quite some time. Reuter tabbed Bregman to start at second base for the duration of his three-year contract, then Campbell to shift in from the outfield to take over the gig in 2028.

"The Red Sox signed Bregman to a massive three-year, $120 million deal earlier this month, and the longtime third baseman is expected to shift to second base in his Boston debut," Reuter wrote.

"Campbell was one of the biggest breakout prospects of the 2024 season, hitting .330/.439/.558 with 32 doubles, 20 home runs, 77 RBI and 24 steals while reaching Triple-A in his first full professional season. Now that Bregman is blocking his path at second base, he could start his MLB career in the outfield."

Obviously, the Red Sox can do some mixing and matching along the way. But baseball players are creatures of habit, and if Campbell is going to be the long-term answer at second base, he'd probably like to settle in there before age 25.

Of course, as soon as the season starts, all predictions fall by the wayside. Campbell's performance on the field will ultimately dictate the tough call manager Alex Cora has to make.

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