| |
Physical Description: Tall,
athletic frame with some remaining projection. Has already
gotten stronger in his first full season and looks to have more
room to grow in his upper body.
Hit:
Starts slightly closed and in a crouch. Timing device utilizes a
toe tap and then a slight leg lift. Strong hand-eye coordination
and contact skills. Rarely swings and misses, and shows good
hand speed and a line drive swing to all fields. Strong wrists
and plus bat speed. Swing is unorthodox, but seems to work for
him. Runs a solid in-zone contact rate, though it has gotten
slightly worse against more advanced arms. Approach is solid
already. Works counts and will take a walk, but needs to improve
his recognition of breaking balls. Looks jumpy at the plate, but
does a good job controlling himself and makes good swing
decisions. Will always face questions about how he will handle
velocity given his swing, but so far it hasn't held him back.
Potential above-average hit tool.
Power:
Plus raw power, but in-game power plays below that because his
swing is more geared toward line-drive contact and does not
generate as much loft. However, he has the power to turn those
line drives into homers as well. Power output increased
massively in 2024 after off-season swing adjustments allowed him
to better tap into the power in his frame. Average power
potential.
Run: Plus speed. Shows both
on the bases and in the field.
Field:
Versatile defender who has played second base, third base,
shortstop and center field. Looks most comfortable at second
base, where he played in college. At short and third, shows
solid athleticism and range, but is a little unorthodox with his
movements. In the outfield, he Is still learning the nuances of
the position, especially with his reads and routes, but has the
raw athleticism and speed you look for out there and to cover up
for most errors. Potential average defensive profile with the
versatility to adequately play at least three positions.
Arm: Average arm. Passable on the left side of
the infield, but best suited for second base.
|
|
Career Notes: Father, Kenneth, played football
at Tennessee. Signed as a draft-eligible sophomore. Played in
the Northwoods League in 2022 after redshirting as a freshman.
Participated in the 2023 Fall Performance Program. Had one of
the most impressive breakout seasons in all of minor league
baseball in 2024, rising from being ranked in the mid-40s on the
SoxProspects rankings prior to spring training, to 22nd coming
out of camp, to being considered one of the game's top prospects
on national rankings at the end of the season. Was the consensus
minor league player of the year in 2024, being so-honored by
Baseball America and Keith Law of The Athletic, while also being
named MLB Pipeline's Hitting Propsect of the Year and Breakout
Player of the Year. Participated in the Red Sox Rookie
Development Program in January 2025.
Summation:
Potential impact everyday player. Ceiling of a consistent
all-star. Still has some variance in his projection due to his
unorthodox swing, but is a plus athlete who has taken a major
step forward in 2024 and established himself as one of the top
prospects not just in the organization, but in all of baseball.
Has made massive strides at the plate with his quality of
contact while maintaining the ability to make good swing
decisions. Hit-over-power profile, but hits the ball hard enough
that he should be able to hit 15-plus home runs a season and a
bunch of extra base hits while maintaining a high average and
consistently getting on base. Might initially struggle with the
adjustment to major league pitching, but has shown the ability
to quickly adjust to new levels in the minors. Future defensive
home remains to be determined, but shows the most promise at
second base. Has the athleticism to handle short, third and
center field potentially, but needs more reps at those positions
and will have to show that he can adjust to the speed of the
game there, especially against major league competition. Quiet
personality, but has a very strong work ethic and has really
taken to instruction, elevating himself into a high-end prospect
in the process.
Links
Red Sox select Kristian Campbell with fourth-round compensation
pick (7.10.23)
Notes from the Field (3.18.2025) |
|
