Kristian Campbell's distinctive approach has made him one of the Red Sox' most consistent hitters
'Definitely, we thought that we were going to see a little bit of struggling,' said Red Sox first base coach José Flores.
But Campbell has done the opposite. The 22-year-old entered Wednesday having been one of the most consistent players in the Red Sox lineup this year, carrying an .313/.420/.515 line while having reached base in 26 of his first 28 games.
Advertisement
Those marks are among the most impressive put up by a Red Sox rookie in his first month in the big leagues — particularly after breaking camp with the team. No Red Sox rookie who began the season as an everyday starter has ever posted a better OBP through 28 games. Aside from Japanese veteran Masataka Yoshida in 2023, you'd likely have to go back to George Scott in 1966 to find a Red Sox rookie who — without any prior experience in the big leagues — debuted on Opening Day and made such an impact.
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
'It's definitely surprising, even for me sometimes,' said Campbell. 'It's my first time seeing all these pitchers. I really just try to keep everything as simple as possible.'
The foundation of Campbell's success is a distinctive approach in which he appears ready to swing out of his shoes on any pitch and yet maintains the ability to pull back his swing. The result appears unusual — almost as if Campbell check-swings on every pitch — but it has allowed him to take aggressive swings combined with impressive takes.
Advertisement
'I'm ready every pitch. I'm literally ready every pitch to hit,' explained Campbell. 'Being able to stop last second and make that last-second split decision to stop is, I think, something I carried over. I'm swinging until I'm not swinging. That's pretty much my approach, and I think that's made me successful.'
It is early, but through his first month Campbell has struck an offensive balance of aggressiveness and plate discipline that usually eludes players for years, if not careers, while also adjusting to the opposing pitcher's plan of attack.
'Adaptability is probably the best word for that,' said Sox hitting coach Pete Fatse. 'He's learning things on the fly in a lot of cases, and I think his ability to apply information as it comes to him is what's separating him right now.'
'He's been able to [make adjustments] from one AB to the other, and that's really tough to do in your rookie year,' said Flores. 'Those are the flashes of a superstar in the big leagues.'
Waiting for Wong
The Red Sox hope catcher Connor Wong (broken left pinkie) will be ready to rejoin the team this weekend, but he'll need at least one more rehab game with Triple-A Worcester on Thursday before he's ready.
'He doesn't feel comfortable catching right now,' said Sox manager Alex Cora. 'There's a little hesitation to the pitches. So he's going to give it a try tomorrow, see how he feels.'
Advertisement
Newcomb in relief
With Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello back, lefthander Sean Newcomb will get a look as a lefthanded option out of the bullpen. He and the Sox were encouraged by his first relief outing of the season on Sunday, when he struck out three in a scoreless inning.
'When I signed here, I knew obviously the depth they had in the rotation,' said Newcomb. 'I'd pitched out of the 'pen plenty in my career and love being in a leverage role, just pitching in games that matter, coming to the park every day ready to play. So it's different, for sure, but I'm looking forward to the opportunity.' ... Lefthander Brennan Bernardino was placed on the bereavement list. His roster spot was taken by Giolito, who was activated on Wednesday ... Red Sox players remained amazed by Daulton Varsho's catch on Tuesday, when the Blue Jays center fielder lost his footing, fell on the turf, but — while kneeling, and with his back to the plate — reached to his left and made a blind, backhand catch of a flyball to the center field warning track by Jarren Duran. 'Never seen anything like that,' said Cora.
Alex Speier can be reached at
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Roman Anthony gets thumbs up from Red Sox legend Fred Lynn over new jersey number
Roman Anthony was rocking a new number on the back of his Red Sox jersey on Tuesday night, much to the delight of former Boston legend Fred Lynn. Anthony made his debut Monday night at Fenway Park sporting the No. 48 he wore in the minor leagues last season. He went 0-for-4 at the plate with a walk and an RBI in his debut, and many Red Sox fans were worried he was suffering from "The Curse of Pablo Sandoval." Ahead of Tuesday's game, Anthony was able to swap out those digits for the No. 19, which he had on his back as he was tearing the cover off the ball for Triple-A Worcester this season. The switch paid off immediately, as Anthony went opposite field for a two-run double in his first at-bat Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Rays. It was the first Major League hit for the top prospect in baseball and gave Boston an early 2-0 lead. That was Anthony's only hit on the night, as he went 1-for-4 in the 3-1 Boston victory. But the right fielder later showed off some fine leather with a sliding catch in the sixth inning, giving fans an excellent view of that No. 19. The number brought Anthony some good mojo Tuesday, making him the latest Boston player to enjoy some success in the No. 19. The most famous player of them all was Fred Lynn, who was a superstar for the Red Sox for 10 seasons. Lynn broke onto the scene in 1975 and won both Rookie of the Year and MVP, and was a nine-time All-Star over his 17-year career. He's also a big fan of Anthony's, and is A-OK with the rookie taking over the famous number. "The #19 was good for me. Hoping it's good for Roman, too," Lynn posed on X. Red Sox and the No. 19 No. 19 belonged to Lynn from 1974-80. After a bit of a lull, it's been a pretty good number for the Red Sox over the last 20 years. Josh Beckett was Boston's No. 19 from 2006-12, when he won 89 games, made three All-Star teams, and helped the Red Sox win a World Series in 2007. After Beckett, the number went to Koji Uehara, who saved 79 games for Boston from 2013-16. He closed the door on seven wins during the 2013 postseason when he had a 0.66 ERA for the Red Sox, en route to a World Series title. Jackie Bradley Jr. also rocked the No. 19 for Boston from 2017-20 and 2022. In 2018, Bradley Jr. won a Gold Glove in centerfield and was the MVP of Boston's ALCS win over the Houston Astros, leading up to the team's last World Series title. Pitcher Sean Newcomb was the last Red Sox player to wear No. 19 for Boston this season, before he was DFA'd and traded to the Athletics. The number should be on Anthony's back for a while, and we'll see if the phenom can enjoy the same level of success as some of the other No. 19s in Red Sox history.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why is Red Sox rookie Roman Anthony such a big deal? And what type of player could he become?
Roman Anthony, baseball's No. 1 prospect, is officially a big leaguer. After two months of speculation, fan base frustration and Triple-A moon shots, the Red Sox called up the 21-year-old outfielder on Monday. Anthony, born on May 13, 2004, is now the youngest player in The Show, taking that title away from fellow 2004 baby and Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio. Advertisement Through his first two games, Anthony has already offered a tantalizing glimpse of what made him such a highly touted prospect. That includes blistering a ball at 111.2 mph, which signaled that from a skill standpoint, Anthony is ready to compete at the highest level. Why is he a big the biggest deal? Anthony is MLB's top prospect because his offensive ceiling is stratospheric. Drafted 79th overall in 2022 but given a signing bonus commensurate with a late-first-round slot, Anthony was well-known as a high schooler, but he wasn't a 'can't-miss' prospect. Evaluators worried that the young Floridian might be something of a tweener — an outfielder who doesn't hit enough to start in a corner but doesn't have an elite glove in center field. Think Hunter Renfroe, Will Benson, late-career Jason Heyward or the current scuffling version of Brandon Marsh. But upon entering pro ball, Anthony shed the tweener label almost immediately. His power potential, contact ability and swing decisions were all well beyond expectations. He shined in 2023, carving up High-A pitchers despite being 3.3 years younger than the average player. And the real breakout came a year later, when Anthony slashed .291/.396/.498 between Double-A and Triple-A. That propelled him to the top of prospect lists this past winter, with nearly every public prognosticator having the Boston basher slotted in at No. 2 behind the older and more professionally established Roki Sasaki. Advertisement Anthony is by no means a butcher in the grass or a plodder on the bases; he remains passable in center field and recorded an 82nd percentile run time in his MLB debut. But the value here is tied up in the bat, which has a chance to be special. He's a supreme in-box athlete, with a wonderful combination of looseness and power. That juice comes more from his arms, wrists and hands than from his lower half, but Anthony's far from pushy. He's able to generate amazing pop without selling out completely. And the numbers back up the eye test. Just last week, while still a member of the Worcester Red Sox, Anthony launched a 497-foot grand slam, the longest home run in pro baseball this year. Earlier in the season, he smoked one 116 mph, something that only 19 players have done in the bigs this season. Through his first two MLB games, Anthony's tracked bat speed already ranks in the 87th percentile, alongside guys such as Elly De La Cruz, Bryce Harper and Bobby Witt Jr. What type of player could he become? The ceiling is somewhere around Kyle Tucker or peak Christian Yelich. Both of those players were active on the bases, something Anthony has been during his time in the minors. Advertisement Like Yelich, Anthony occasionally struggles to lift the baseball. In Triple-A this year, he posted a 52.2% ground ball rate, a mark that would be eighth-highest among qualified MLB hitters this year (Yelich, at 58.3%, ranks first). There are a number of successful players in this range — Fernando Tatis Jr., Elly De La Cruz, Jacob Wilson, James Wood and Gunnar Henderson are all over 50% — but bashing the ball into the turf so often gives Anthony a much smaller margin for error. Thankfully, Anthony, like that group, hits the ball hard enough to have success while running such a high ground ball rate. If Anthony hits the ground running — no pun intended — it might look a lot like Detroit's Riley Greene. If it takes a bit more time for his average to stabilize and the contact ability to show, it could be more along the lines of Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez. If Anthony fills out more than expected, loses a step or two and doesn't hit for as much average as is anticipated, Jay Bruce or the older version Brandon Nimmo might be reasonable comparisons. One last note about Anthony's offensive profile: He rarely swings. His swing rate the past three seasons has hovered between 35% and 38%, an incredibly low figure that would place him in MLB's bottom five. The only player with a lower swing rate than the 35.6% Anthony posted in Triple-A this year? Juan Soto. How does he fit on the current Red Sox roster? That it took so long for Boston to call upon its top prospect says more about the state of the team's big-league roster than it does about Anthony. The Sox entered the season with all three outfield positions spoken for: Jarren Duran in left, Ceddanne Rafaela in center, Wilyer Abreu in right. An oblique issue for Abreu was the catalyst for Anthony's promotion. Advertisement How Anthony fits in once Abreu, who is also a left-handed-swinging right fielder, returns from the IL depends on a number of factors. How long will Abreu be sidelined? How does Anthony look in his absence? Do the Red Sox move Rafaela to the infield and send scuffling rookie second baseman Kristian Campbell to Triple-A for a refresh? Does another club construct an appealing trade package for Rafaela or Duran, opening a spot in the grass? The immediate future for Boston's much maligned defensive alignment remains murky and complicated. But with Anthony in the fold, the long-run dreaming begins to feel more tangible.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pope Leo XIV shows off his White Sox fandom at weekly general audience
Pope Leo XIV put his baseball fandom on full display Wednesday. He wore a White Sox hat as he arrived at the Vatican for his weekly general audience. Leo, a Chicago native previously known as Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected as the first U.S.-born pontiff on May 8. Since then, his most notable sports allegiance has been unearthed. Advertisement Although the Chicago Cubs initially claimed Leo after ABC News reported that he was a rare South Side Cubs fan, Leo's brother quickly disputed that story in an interview with Chicago's WGN News. "He was never, ever a Cubs fan, so I don't know where that came from. He was always a Sox fan. Our mother was a Cubs fan. I don't know, maybe that clued in there, and our dad was a Cardinals fan, so I don't know where that all came from. And all the aunts in our mom's family were from North Side, so that's why they were Cubs fans." Then the Chicago Sun-Times located a picture of Leo at the 2005 World Series, during which the White Sox swept the Houston Astros for their first championship in 88 years. Sox on 35th blogger Joe Binder went one step further and actually dug up footage of the now-pope from Game 1 of that series. The camera briefly shows Leo as he nervously awaits the final out, with White Sox closer Bobby Jenks on the bump in a 5-3 win. The White Sox have been celebrating their most famous fan for more than a month now. Leo gave the Sox another reason to continue that parade Wednesday when he paired the team's iconic cap with his papal garments.
