Kristian Campbell finding his swing again; could he spark Red Sox offense? 'Yeah, for sure. I definitely could'

As you walk down the tunnel behind the WooSox’ dugout at Polar Park before a game, the crack of the bat echoes throughout the hallway. The batting cage sits just off the tunnel, and more often than not, that’s where you’ll find Kristian Campbell.

Campbell has spent the early part of the season in Worcester, putting in extra work to refine his approach at the plate as he looks to get back to the big leagues. Once one of the fastest-rising prospects in the Red Sox system, he burst onto the scene two years ago and quickly established himself as one of the organization’s most promising young players. Now, he’s working his way back, just as Boston searches for answers of its own.

The Red Sox are coming off a wild Saturday in which the offense finally broke out, erupting for 17 runs on 17 hits in a rout of the Orioles at Camden Yards. For the first time in weeks, the lineup looked cohesive, like a team with a plan, trying to climb back into the AL East race.

But hours after that win, the organization made sweeping changes, firing Alex Cora and multiple members of his coaching staff. On Sunday, Boston scored five runs and was aggressive on the bases under new interim manager Chad Tracy. The front office wanted a new voice, a new direction, and, more than anything, a spark. 

Before the shakeup, Boston had already been scrambling for solutions, shuffling pitchers to patch together a taxed staff. Naturally, the question follows: could help come from the position-player side as well?

If called upon, the 23-year-old Campbell believes he can be part of that answer.

“Yeah, for sure. I definitely could,” Campbell said confidently. “I feel like I'm going in the right direction right now. So whenever or if they ever make that decision, I'll be ready. But for right now, I just got to focus on getting ready. So when I do get the opportunity and take it, I don't take it for granted and go do what I can up there at the best of my ability.

Campbell said he isn’t focused on what’s happening in Boston, instead concentrating on being the best version of himself in Worcester while doubling down on what he believes he can bring to the Red Sox.

“But I definitely could,” said Campbell a second time on helping the Red Sox offense. “I think it all comes around at the end of the day. I mean, it's tough up there, obviously, but it's a pretty young group. I mean, including myself, not being up there right now. It's a pretty young group.” 

Campbell has been quietly productive at Triple-A Worcester, hitting safely in 20 of his last 22 games (25-for-84, .298) with two doubles, a home run, and 12 RBI. Has three multi-hit games in his last five games (7-for-17) with two walks, two stolen bases, and two RBI.

He’s also been putting in extra work in the cage before games, continuing to refine his offensive approach.

“Offensively, I'm in a good spot,” Campbell said to Boston Sports Journal. “ I've been working on some things in the cage and stuff. I feel like I'm in a good spot offensively. I've seen the ball well, working on some new adjustments I made in the offseason, and everything's going smooth so far, so I feel good.”

A key part of his adjustments has been altering the positioning of his hands in his batting stance.

“Some of the stuff I worked on in the offseason, obviously, I lowered my hands a little bit from last season,” Campbell said. “Getting used to that. I have a lot more time than I did last year, getting used to that extra time, using that to my advantage, that’s really the main thing.”

While playing winter ball in Puerto Rico, Campbell focused on refining his new mechanics, dialing in his timing, slowing the game down, and growing more comfortable at the plate. The Red Sox sent former coaches Pete Fatse and Kyle Hudson to work with him directly, and the impact was evident. His movements became less rushed, his pitch recognition improved, and he showed a greater willingness to trust the process rather than chase results.

That shift has been a major point of emphasis for Boston’s player development staff. The organization wants the athletic Campbell to focus on process over outcome, believing the results will follow.

In 14 games in Puerto Rico, Campbell slashed .245/.403/.367 (.771 OPS) with four doubles, one triple, and six RBIs, along with 13 walks and 12 strikeouts. He also put together a seven-game hitting streak, during which he hit .308/.455/.500 (.955 OPS).

“He’s obviously made some mechanical adjustments and those changes take time, it’s a process and sometimes results don’t happen overnight,” said Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham to Boston Sports Journal. 

“We’ve seen a better approach as of late and more consistent ability to impact the baseball,” added Abraham. “We are seeing progress and positive results recently which is great, some things we had already seen in early work and in the cage. But the most important thing is sticking to the process, patience, and continuing to get more comfortable at the plate so his athleticism and strength really play the way we know it can.”

Tracy also likes what he’s seeing from Campbell this season. 

“All across the board, he's taking steps, right? He's handling himself better in between at-bats,” Tracy said this week at Polar Park.  “He's staying focused on what the adjustments are and not the results. He's staying focused on what his process is… some days are going to be good some days are going to be bad, all of that is better which it needs to be.”

Campbell has played exclusively in the outfield for Worcester this season, logging time at all three spots, four games in center, six in left, and eight in right. He acknowledged that his focus moving forward is primarily on the outfield, though one source noted the Red Sox haven’t fully closed the door on a return to the infield.

“Positionally, I’m right now working on the outfield, and that’s been going well,” he said. “I don’t really care where I play positionally. It doesn’t really matter. I just work hard offensively and defensively… it’ll all come around, that’s how baseball goes.”

With Campbell now focused strictly on the outfield, rather than moving around the infield and learning first base, he’s been able to settle in and concentrate on becoming a more complete player.

Campbell has been competing every day with his hitting coach, Johnny Reina, in Worcester, helping him stay grounded while pushing him to be the best version of himself at the plate. 

“He's relentless, he wants to get better every day,” Reina said. “He went through some growing pains last year, but I also think that people don't understand what that kid had a go through, he went through a year and a half of high school baseball, then he went through a Redshirt year, played one year in college baseball, got drafted, played one year professional baseball, and then all of a sudden, he’s in The Show."

Reina said his job is to build up Campbell.

"I think he already holds himself grounded enough," said Reina. "I think the outside part of the world grounds him enough. I feel like my job is to help build him up and to continue to help him feel confident, feel like he’s doing better. When I see him have an at-bat, whether it’s a line out or it’s a 10-pitch punchy, it doesn’t matter. As long as he feels like there’s growth or he’s happy with the fact there’s a process… he’s making good decisions, that’s what we’re looking for right now.”

“I think it definitely helps at the plate,” Campbell said on being able to relax and focus on his offensive approach. “I mean, going through adversity also, just the ups and downs of baseball in general, I’ve never been through that before. Knowing how to get myself out of it faster is going to be a big thing moving forward.”

Tracy likes what he’s seeing from Campbell in the outfield, but recognizes he’s still a work in progress with areas that need to be cleaned up.

“The outfield play, we’ve seen him make two or three very plus-plus plays, we just got to get rid of the careless ones, like sometimes he’ll backhand the ground ball and make the exchange and then ball gets bobbled, thrown in the air, those little things we want to clean up. He looks comfortable to me, which is the most important thing,” Tracy said. 

“Him being comfortable and looking comfortable on defense makes me feel good about the process. Then he can get in the batter’s box and focus on what he has to do there. We’re taking steps, we’re not all the way there… but we’re working towards it.”

Campbell opened last season as the Red Sox’ starting second baseman and came out swinging. Over his first 28 games (99 at-bats), he slashed .313/.420/.515 with eight doubles, four home runs, and 12 RBIs, earning an eight-year, $60 million extension.

Then the production fell off. Over his next 35 games (130 at-bats), Campbell hit just .154/.236/.215 with two homers and nine RBIs, leading to a demotion to Triple-A Worcester, where he spent the remainder of the season.

Now, with Boston committing to him as an outfielder, Campbell has a clearer path to settle in and focus on refining all aspects of his game. The challenge, however, is finding a way back to the big leagues. The Red Sox outfield is crowded, with Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Masataka Yoshida all competing for consistent playing time.

As currently constructed, there’s no clear spot for Campbell, and it makes little sense to promote him only to sit on the bench when he can get everyday at-bats in Worcester.

For now, Campbell understands his opportunity will come. Until then, he’s staying grounded, focused on the process rather than the results.

“Just continue to work each and every day on what I have to work on,” he said. “The main thing for me is just to focus on the little things here, so whenever I do go back up, I’ll be ready to jump back in like I never missed anything in the first place. 

“Just be where my feet are each and every day and focus on one thing at a time. I really just focus one day at a time. I don’t really think about the future. I don’t think about the past. I try not to think too far ahead.”