Red Sox Top Prospect Is Best Hitter In Minor Leagues, Per Latest Report

How long until this slugger earns a shot at the bigs?

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

When the Boston Red Sox lost shortstop Xander Bogaerts after 10 seasons and a pair of World Series rings, the mood was somber around Red Sox Nation.

Sure, maybe it was crazy to ask the Red Sox to match the 11-year, $270 million Bogaerts got from the San Diego Padres, but it was hard to envision how losing Bogaerts would in any way help Boston get closer to a championship someday.

But because Boston had made a qualifying offer to Bogaerts heading into free agency, they were given an extra fourth-round pick in the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft. And they just so happened to select someone who would become the best hitter in Minor League Baseball in 2024.

With the 132nd pick last season, the Red Sox took Kristian Campbell, a shortstop out of Georgia Tech. Campbell has since migrated to third base, second base, and corner outfield as Boston has tried to figure out his future home defensively. But in baseball, if you hit, you don't sit.

Campbell blasted his way through High-A in early 2024. He earned a promotion to Double-A and started piling up even more run production. Now, he's knocking on the doorstep of the majors and still tearing the cover off the ball.

Campbell hit a three-run homer on Thursday night in Rochester, his fourth in 13 games since his latest promotion. He added a pair of walks to the round-tripper, raising his OPS in Triple-A to 1.024.

According to MLB Pipeline on X, Campbell's wRC+ of 182 entering Thursday night was the highest among all players in full-season MiLB play this season. Taking all factors into account (ballpark, performance relative to competition, etc.), Campbell is the best hitter in the minors this season.

Campbell was reportedly under some consideration to receive a September call-up, but it wasn't in the cards at the time. However, with each passing day that the Red Sox fall out of the race, the chances jump a little higher that the free-swinging 22-year-old gets a shot at the big-league level.

At minimum, it's a conversation for Opening Day of 2025, when the Red Sox will need to determine who they trust to lock down second base. If it comes down to offensive performance alone, it's hard not to see Campbell as the leader in the clubhouse.

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