Red Sox 2B Kristian Campbell Receives Surprise Team USA Prediction From MLB Writer

The youngest member of the WBC squad?

Apr 4, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Kristian Campbell (28) steals second during the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox knew it last year, but the rest of Major League Baseball now knows too: Kristian Campbell is going to be a star.

It's been a meteoric rise for the 22-year-old Campbell, who was playing in High-A at this time a year ago. He won the Red Sox's second-base job out of camp, then went on a 17-game on-base streak, the second-longest streak to begin a career in franchise history.

Campbell is showcasing all the tools (60-grade hitting, 60-grade power, speed, defensive versatility) that made him a top-10 prospect in baseball coming into the season. But if he keeps this up, he could be in a very interesting conversation by the end of the season.

No, that's not the Rookie of the Year conversation, in which Campbell is currently the front-runner. How crazy would it be to see the youngster play for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic?

On Wednesday, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer included Campbell on his initial Team USA roster projection as a bench/utility player. Campbell and Garrett Crochet were the two Red Sox players on Rymer's initial roster.

"For his part, Campbell is a budding superstar (.972 OPS, 0.8 rWAR in 17 games) who has started games at second base, center field and left field," Rymer wrote. "He'd be a second Swiss Army knife for (manager Mark) DeRosa."

Campbell went 0-for-5 in his next game after Rymer's piece was written, so his OPS has dipped to .900. But the point stands: It's been a great start to the youngster's career, and he's already proving he could be an impact player on the world's biggest stage.

At 22 years, 293 days old, Campbell would also be the second-youngest player on Rymer's projected roster, behind only San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill, who is still 21.

Seeing Campbell's name on the lineup card next to Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, and Bobby Witt Jr. would be quite an achievement. He'll have to wait until the end of the season to see if his name is called, but if he wants to make a strong case, leading the Red Sox to the playoffs would be a good place to start.

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