Red Sox are going to be goofy sexy this year. Put on your best Santa robe and eye Mrs. Claus as she comes out of the shower and applies charcoal creme in the mirror. That’s what kind of sexy we’re talking about. From the windows to The Wall! From Get Roman to Kristian Campbell to all the sex they already have in their lineup! Jarren Duran? Yes, I’m listening. Devers delivers? Yes, as long as that shoulder is healed. Masataka Yoshida? Don’t mind if I do! Wilyer Abreu? Keep talkin’ and I’m gonna keep listenin’! Ceddanne Rafaela? Yes, I like that too! Triston Casas? Healthy like Devers? Then absolutely! Trevor Story? Actually, he’s never healthy, but then there’s Vaughn Grissom. All right, too many guys. Don’t forget David Hamilton. I said that’s enough! Fine, I won’t mention Connor Wong. You better not! Connor Wong! I said don’t mention him, Random Italicized Voice! And The Wall? You know I love The Wall, you bastard! It turns everything into a double. Yes, that’s why I like it. I wasn’t talking aesthetics. I never said you were. Good! Good to you too! So, what can we expect from Kristian Campbell for 2025 fantasy baseball?
All right, before we get too deep, let’s see if Kristian Campbell can go deep:
There goes Kristian Campbell!
That one was 109 off the bat. pic.twitter.com/cQGEH4pkBw
— Red Sox Player Development (@RedSoxPlayerDev) September 6, 2024
Don’t think that makes it over The Wall, but how about this one:
Kristian Campbell two-run home run.
The Boston Red Sox prospect is hitting .420 with four home runs in Double-A.
Absurd. pic.twitter.com/XR35zGatbB
— Hunter Noll (@Hunter_Noll) June 26, 2024
Then the running:
Kristian Campbell with his third triple in Double-A.
The Boston Red Sox prospect is hitting .366 since being promoted.
Dump them out, @tylermilliken_ pic.twitter.com/rV6aCsT2ei
— Hunter Noll (@Hunter_Noll) August 17, 2024
By the way, finding minor league clips is a pain. The camerawork is so shoddy most of the time. Well, enough b’ing and m’ing, because we shouldn’t clog up the glorious with the petty gripes. In my Jasson Dominguez fantasy, I said there was four top rookie candidates for redraft leagues. They’ve all been revealed now — Dominguez, Jackson Jobe, Roman Anthony and Dylan Crews, but they’re all 1A, then Kristian Campbell is 1B and could be 1A. If Kristian Campbell is the top rookie, it wouldn’t shock me. He was the top Minor League Hitter of the Year, and Breakout Player of the Year. He absolutely tore up the minors this year from the floor up — 20/24 across three levels of High to Triple-A, at the age of 22. Doesn’t turn 23 until June, for what it’s Cronenworth.
Kristian Campbell’s Hit Tool looks gorge too. He hit .362 in Double-A in 213 ABs, his longest stop. (.330 overall with a .439 OBP and .558 SLG.) Chaim made that Red Sox farm Bloom. All of these guys who are going to hit .290+ with The Wall, and are very similar to Jarren Duran. The Red Sox could have four guys in the top 50 overall next year for fantasy baseball. It’s a good time to be downe with Lands, and to be a Fan in the euil.
So, this brings us to playing time estimates for 2025. Much like Roman Anthony, I don’t know, but I can guess. I’d put Kristian Campbell at 70% odds of breaking camp, which is slightly better than Roman Anthony, because Campbell can play middle infield too. The reason why Campbell (and Anthony) are behind Dominguez, et al is solely because I don’t know their ETA as clearly. If Campbell (or Anthony) had been called up in September, I’d feel better with both. Since I wrote the Dominguez post, he didn’t sniff one single at-bat in the World Series with Aaron Boone opting for Jose Trevino in critical situations, so who knows on his playing time either? Dominguez, Anthony, and Campbell are all going to come down to playing time, so it might be Dylan Crews at 1A and the rest at 1B. 1B ain’t a bad place 2B. For 2025, I’ll give Kristian Campbell projections of 62/14/66/.274/18 in 414 ABs with a chance for much more.
I am going to plant my flag on this hill and gladly die on it*
Kristian Campbell is a better 2B keeper than Holliday. The reason: Campbell has category juice coming out of his ears (Eww!) and no platoon risk while I think you’d be happy to get .250/15HR/10SB out of Holliday.
*the author of this statement is unlikely to actually agree to die on hills of any sort
HA, you could be right…for fantasy at least, Campbell does have the juice
Keeper question. $260 budget (33 players). Schwellenberg ($6) or Sonny Gray ($11)?
Prolly lean Schwellenberg
Or Schwelleanberg
Feel like I missed an opportunity to say thanks at the end of the season – so thank you! You’re the best independent voice in fantasy (whatever sport), and I got second in both my leagues mostly with your brilliant pitching picks and a couple of Red Sox outfielders. SON and Hittertron are incredible.
But, more than that, thanks for brightening this year with your writing, Obviously the daily write-ups are a fixture, but I love your twitter presence, and the podcast is a gem. You have such a gift for seeing through the BS (world, baseball, fantasy), and for calling it out in such a funny and unique way. A true character in the Italian sense (complimentary).
Best to you and Cougs in the off-season. Thank you for a great year.
Aw, thanks! That’s very nice to hear!
Keeper question for you buddy:
I’ve got Kristian Campbell in a 12 team keeper league where we keep 12. I’ve decided to part ways with some of the old guard like Marcus Semien, Tyler O’Neil and Manny Machado. I also don’t have a sense of urgency to keep Pablo Lopez or Bailey Ober.
I’m thinking of making my last keeper Campbell. My other keepers are Rutschman, Vientos, Gunnar H, Julio Rodriguez, Ohtani, Lawrence Butler, Austin Riley, Skenes, Imanaga, Woo and Eury Perez.
That leaves me room for Campbell. I like to move toward youth before guys hit the wall or downhill slide due to age like Semien and Machado.
Do you think it’s a mistake to hold on to Butler or Eury Perez or some of the other guys I’ve listed that I’m cutting? I’m a bit torn on what to do about Campbell. I know Machado is better than him right now but I’m not sure how much longer he’s going to keep it up with him turning 33 next summer.
I wouldn’t cut Butler for Campbell
Late rounds ain’t a bad place 2B drafting 1B prospects! I can’t wait to see where they get drafted in some of the early drafts. All it will take is a stupid hot spring training to throw the ADP universe out of orbit though.
I love having Campbell on a couple of dynasty teams. Second base is such a wasteland at the moment.
I have filled my excel with SP from 2024 and their K/9, BB/9, and fip. The more I look at it the more I like Sonny Gray. Am I crazy for thinking he’s a top 10 SP for 2025?
The other one I like is Yusei Kikuchi. Always had K/9 over 9, and then lowed his BB/9 to 2.6 in 2023 and 2.3 last year. Was it something as simple as getting out of Toronto to correct the fip? Am I crazy for ranking Kikuchi in the top 20 SP in 2025?
I appreciate your Gray! Oh and how about those Royals signing Wacha! Dayton Moore has got to be pissed seeing them spend money like a mid market team. Getting a leadoff bat and a good hitter for the 4th or 5th spot in the lineup used to be a pipe dream, but the new brass makes me think it’s possible!
I think top 10 sounds a bit high for Gray, but maybe around top 20-25-ish…I like Yusei too, I don’t think he’s in the top 20 SPs tho…Maybe around 30ish? Wacha’s great, also undervalued for fantasy…Prolly around top 60 SP, and he’s a top 30-40 SP in reality
Grey!!!!
Props for reporting on Kristian Campbell, my boy!!
In four, 12-team slow draft best ball points leagues! The first draft started Friday, the second draft Saturday, the third draft started yesterday and IDK when the fourth starts (not yet full). What do you think of team 1 (17/40 rounds complete)?
Pasquantino 7/80
Holliday 9/104
Suarez 5/56
Gunnar 1/8
Duran 2/17, Merrill 4/41, JassonD 10/113, Lawrence Butler 12/137, Crews 15/176
SP Cease 3/32, Webb 6/65, Bowden Francis 8/89, Eovaldi 11/128, Pepiot 13/152, Rhett Lowder 16/185
RP Devin Williams 14/161, Ryan Walker 17/200
The system selects the scoring data for any 9 pitchers, 5 OF, 1x each of C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B and 1 Utility. My plan is to sign up a catcher, one RP and one random batter to finish up the first 20 rounds, then I plan to repeat with the backups at each position. What do you think of the plan?
Cheers,
Ante
Thanks! I’m so jealous, when do I start drafting? Love the hitting, for power and speed, tho Eugenio (is that Eugenio) feels high…Pitching looks solid, great command guys, solid-enough Ks…Good plan!
Grey!!!
Eugenio indeed! I know too early, there was no duress. Just not a bright move.
Thanks for your kind words.
Rodney quotes coming on OD as planned. Trying to use AI/ChatGPT to transcribe a few of the videos I have from audio to text to make the job easier.
Cheers,
Ante
Ah, no worries, prolly a little high, but he did have a huge 2nd half…Okay, you better not be giving quotes to the AI
Haha!