From Jen McCaffrey earlier today
Kristian Campbell debuts in Triple-A Worcester
After hitting .362 with a 1.045 OPS in 56 games at Double A, Campbell earned his promotion to Worcester on Sunday, a few days after Mayer, Teel and Anthony. In his final 10 games in Portland, Campbell hit four homers and two triples and left little to prove at Double A.
His teammates had high praise for Campbell, who splits time between second base and center field. In his first game on Tuesday, Campbell hit third and started at shortstop going 2-for-5 with two singles, driving in three runs.
“We call him Barry Bonds just because of how good of a hitter he is,” Anthony said last week. “He’s a great player. He’s a freak athlete, plays the game the right way, and he’s a great person on and off the field. It’s rare that you get a guy like that who can play so many different premium positions and play it at the level that he plays it (as) well, putting up the numbers that he’s put up. Credit to him.”
The Red Sox drafted Campbell in the fourth round in 2023, a selection that is now considered somewhat of a steal given his immense production thus far. At the time of the draft, there were questions of whether his unorthodox batting style would translate to pro ball. So far, those fears have been allayed as he’s more than exceeded expectations.
“He came in and it was kind of a new style of hitting from what he came from at Georgia Tech,” Anthony said. “And he was willing to learn. He grinded all off-season. He was there every day in Florida when we were there, every day in spring training, he was constantly grinding. He hits early every day, so it’s not by accident.”
In his first week in Triple A, Anthony had a 3-for-4 debut last Tuesday, then went hitless for four games before a 2-for-3 day with two walks on Sunday. On Tuesday night, Anthony went 4-for-5, including a homer and drove in three runs.