Sox Discuss with Will Middlebrooks is a recurring content material sequence on NESN.com. Middlebrooks, a former Pink Sox participant, and present NESN analyst provides his perception and opinion on pertinent Pink Sox storylines all through the season. You may learn the most recent tales from the sequence right here.
Vaughn Grissom seemed just like the Boston Pink Sox second baseman of the current and future once they acquired him from the Atlanta Braves final offseason.
However Kristian Campbell has totally different concepts.
Campbell went on a meteoric rise by means of Boston’s farm system this previous season and was named Baseball America’s Minor League Participant of the Yr. He began the 2024 marketing campaign with Excessive-A Greenville earlier than progressing all the best way to Triple-A Worcester, getting on the cusp of breaking by means of to the foremost leagues.
That very effectively may occur subsequent season for Campbell. Many wish to watch the 22-year-old push Grissom, who had a down debut season with the Pink Sox, for the beginning job at second base and see who comes out on high within the place battle.
Story continues beneath commercial
“I’m not prepared to surrender on Vaughn Grissom, however I’m all for a wholesome competitors to see who needs it,” former Pink Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks informed NESN.com.
Campbell definitely has loads of momentum at his again after hitting .330 with a .997 OPS to go together with 20 dwelling runs, 77 RBIs and 24 stolen bases throughout three minor league ranges this previous season.
The Georgia Tech product is now seen because the Tenth-best prospect in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline and was named Boston’s Minor League Participant of the Yr as effectively.
Middlebrooks, very like everybody else, is very impressed by Campbell’s skill within the batter’s field. However Campbell’s sheer measurement at 6-foot-3 and 191 kilos, which Middlebrooks caught a glimpse of when the Pink Sox honored the teen for his organizational accolade in the course of the closing sequence of the season, made him appear past his years, too.
Story continues beneath commercial
“He’s a beast,” Middlebrooks stated. “… I walked previous him and his household at Lodge Commonwealth, my God. This man’s constructed like an NFL receiver.”
Grissom is only a yr older than Campbell however already performed components of three MLB seasons. Hamstring accidents derailed his first yr with the Pink Sox after which the franchise determined to maintain him at Triple-A for an prolonged keep to work on some issues as soon as he recovered.
Grissom ended up enjoying in simply 31 video games for the Pink Sox, through which he batted .190 with no dwelling runs and 6 RBIs. However the potential remains to be there — he confirmed it throughout his first season with the Braves when he hit .291 with 5 homers and 18 RBIs in 41 video games — to be a strong contributor for an enormous league group.
He’ll should put that on show, although, with Campbell, who additionally has expertise at third base and heart discipline, nipping at his heels. And even with the 2 battling it out at spring coaching, it’d to tough to get a totally correct evaluation of who may maintain the higher hand at a key place within the infield.
Story continues beneath commercial
“Competitors in spring coaching is hard, too, as a result of guys are coming off the offseason, they’re attempting to work on issues,” Middlebrooks stated. “So spring coaching shouldn’t be all the time an excellent indicator of what you’re going to get in-season when guys try to win a job, however they’re additionally attempting to work on their craft. So some video games you’re like, ‘What is that this man doing? Why is he not swinging? Why is he solely swinging at this?’ You’re like, ‘He’s engaged on one thing.’
“However that’s powerful once you go into camp, and I’ve been in that spot, the place you go in and also you’re attempting to win a job, so engaged on issues is sort of out of the query.”
