Campbell went from redshirting at Georgia Tech in 2022 to earning Freshman All-America honors and going in the supplemental fourth round in 2023 to winning MLB Pipeline Hitting Prospect of the Year, MiLB Breakout Player of the Year and Double-A Eastern League MVP accolades in his first full pro season. Scouts weren't sure what to make of his inability to maximize his then-average raw power and plus speed during college games, but the Red Sox loved his bat-to-ball skills and helped him improve his bat speed, strength and swing path. He slashed a combined .330/.439/.558 with 20 homers and 24 steals in 115 games while advancing from High-A to Triple-A in 2024, leading the Minors in wRC+ (180) while ranking second in on-base percentage and OPS (.997), fourth in batting and fifth in runs (94).
Campbell looks like an entirely different hitter than he did in college, trading a bit of contact to do a lot more damage with a more aggressive right-handed stroke that allows him to hit balls harder and launch them in the air more frequently. He controls the strike zone, handling left-handers and right-handers equally well while driving the ball to all fields. There may be even more power to be had if he can continue to reduce his groundball rate, which was still higher than most last year at 43 percent (compared to 56 percent at Georgia Tech).
Campbell also did a better job of using his quickness last season, stealing 24 bases in 115 games after swiping just four in 45 college contests. He lacks smooth actions in the infield, doesn't show great instincts in center field and has average arm strength with a funky throwing stroke, so his future defensive home remains in question. Most evaluators believe he'll wind up in the outfield, probably in left field because Boston has Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela as superior defenders in center.
After redshirting in his first year at Georgia Tech in 2022, Campbell became the Yellow Jackets' leadoff hitter last spring and batted .376/.484/.549. He created mixed opinions among scouts because his average raw power and plus speed didn't play that way in games, but Boston liked his hitting ability enough to take him in the supplemental fourth round. The Red Sox helped him add strength and bat speed while making some swing changes, and he has become one of the most productive hitters in the Minors in 2024.
Campbell excelled at making contact with his flat right-handed stroke at Georgia Tech but rarely drove balls in the air. Now he's taking more aggressive hacks and launching more balls in the air to his pull side, and he looks like he'll provide 25 or more homers per season. Though his new approach is leading to more strikeouts, he's still drawing a healthy amount of walks.
While Campbell is a plus runner, he's not much of a basestealer, lacks smooth infield instincts and isn't instinctive in the outfield. He has played more second base and shortstop than center field early in his first full pro career, though scouts think his funky throwing motion likely will push him off the dirt. He doesn't cover a lot of ground in center and may fit best in left, which would put more pressure on his bat.
These run values are leveraged, meaning the base/out situation at the time of the event does impact the run value (thus introducing context outside the batter's own contribution).
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's home runs would have been out of other stadiums. The "Adjusted" view here accounts for different wall heights, distances and environmental effects using Statcast Park Factor data.
Standard
Year
HR
2025
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
3
3
3
3
Player
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
3
3
3
3
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's home runs would have been out of other stadiums. The "Standard" view here accounts for different wall heights and distances but excludes environmental effects. It is based purely on the observed trajectory of the hit.
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here
