Alex Cora's Comments Put Spotlight on Red Sox's Kristian Campbell

The Boston Red Sox slugger is going to be just fine in the long run.

Jun 9, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Kristian Campbell (28) hits a RBI against the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

As the 2026 Major League Baseball season approaches, one guy to keep an eye on if you're a Boston Red Sox fan is Kristian Campbell.

Campbell broke camp with the Red Sox last season and burst onto the scene in Boston as a big leaguer. He made it to the majors before both Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer, fellow members of the prospect group that was called the "Big 3." Campbell looked the part early in the season as well. In his first 28 big league games, Campbell slashed .313/.420/.515 with a .935 OPS. He also hit four homers, drove in 12 runs and logged eight doubles as well.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Unfortunately, he wasn't able to stick in the majors. His defense wasn't great and he went ice-cold offensively as well. Campbell is still very young. This is a guy who is just 23 years old. Now, he has been working more with the outfielders, rather than bouncing around all over the place. He's looked good in camp and the club clearly isn't giving up on him. Red Sox manager Alex Cora also acknowledged that Campbell knows what he needs to do to get back to the big leagues, as transcribed by MassLive.com's Christopher Smith.

The Red Sox have a very bright future

Worcester’s Kristian Campbell watches his two-run home run in the fifth inning against Lehigh Valley July 29 at Polar Park. | Rick Cinclair/Telegram & Gazette / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"You can see a big difference,” Cora said of Campbell, as transcribed by Smith. “He knows how to look at his schedule and he knows what he needs to do to get back to the big leagues, which is the most important thing."

Cora also specifically talked about how is offense plays a key role in the decision.

“If we get this [the offense] back, we can find at-bats,” Cora said, as transcribed by Smith.

Campbell may not have a clear path to the big leagues right now, but he's just 23 years old. The Red Sox gave him a long-term extension last year for a reason. The organization clearly thinks the sky is the limit for him and now it's just a matter of figuring out a way to maximize his at-bats and getting space in the majors.