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Kristian Campbell's wayward journey back to the minor leagues continues, but the 23-year-old just might be turning the corner.
In his most viral moment of the Triple-A Worcester season, Campbell went deep on Tuesday night against New York Yankees All-Star Carlos Rodón on his rehab assignment. Even when he was going bad in the majors last season, Campbell seemed to see Rodón well, hitting an opposite-field home run against him in June at Yankee Stadium.
Kristian Campbell takes Carlos Rodón deep to center! pic.twitter.com/bESaUqdJBa
— Hunter Noll (@Hunter_Noll) May 5, 2026
Obviously, one home run doesn't make it a slam dunk that Campbell will return to the majors soon. He entered the night slugging .343 and ended it at a better, but not amazing .398. But he's been taking his walks and has his batting average up to .291 through 28 games, and he finished Tuesday night with a rocket double to the opposite field at 104 mph.
Even better was the quote Worcester's acting manager, Iggy Suarez, had about Campbell before Tuesday's game even began.
"He’s not a swag guy but I can see he’s walking a little different and that’s something I’ve seen before," said Suarez, per Tommy Cassell of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. "I saw it early in his career when he was with us in (2023), and I’m starting to see it again now, and I’m excited for that."
Campbell's transition to the outfield makes his eventual return to the major league roster a lot more complicated than it might be if he still were considered an option to play second base on a full-time basis. As fans are well aware, Boston already has four good outfielders, plus designated hitter Masataka Yoshida, competing for playing time.
But the swings Campbell is putting on balls now against Triple-A pitchers finally look like the confident ones he had in 2024, when he became one of the top prospects in all of baseball. It's a step in the right direction, if nothing else.