After landing Alex Bregman on a three-year contract, Boston Red Sox fans brim with anticipation after a strong offseason that Craig Breslow has put together. The Red Sox added two names to their rotation and a bat in Bregman who should mash at Fenway.
Not only that, but the Sox also have an elite farm system with three top prospects inside the top 15 of MLB Pipeline's top 100. All three of those prospects will be at MLB Spring Training starting this week, so let's take a look at who to keep an eye on.
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3. Marcelo Mayer
Starting this list is the No. 12 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, Marcelo Mayer. Mayer is a shortstop coming off a fantastic 2024 campaign where he slashed .307/.370/.480 in Double-A Portland. Likely to begin the year in Triple-A Worcester, Mayer is giving the Red Sox a good problem if he pops early. As high on the prospect list as he is, he is currently a bit blocked by not only Kristian Campbell but also the polarizing infield already at Boston's major league level.
The Red Sox now boast an infield Rafael Devers, Trevor Story, Alex Bregman, and Triston Casas. Finding a way to slide Mayer onto the main roster this year may be a challenge unless the team, unfortunately, battles many unforeseen injuries. Mayer has yet to swing the bat at the Triple-A level, so of everybody on this list, he is the furthest away from MLB action. However, he has all the potential in the world, and a strong Spring showing will only garner more recognition.
2. Kristian Campbell
Kristian Campbell, MLB's No. 7 prospect, is the name to keep an eye regarding infield prospects in Boston's organization. He is likely the next man up if an injury occurs, as he can play multiple positions. Listed as a 2B/SS/OF, Campbell appeared at second base, shortstop, third base, and center field. On the season, between three levels, he hit .330/.439/.558 with a 180 wRC+. He received 85 plate appearances at Triple-A alone, slashing .286/.412/.486.
On paper, he, too, is blocked by Boston's stout infield and a center field owned by either the elite fielding of Jarren Duran or Ceddanne Rafaela. Both started over 70 games in center field last season. Still, Campbell is not far off from his MLB debut. If the Red Sox need an internal outfield option, Campbell would likely be the second phone call, as that honor belongs to #1 on this list. However, if the Red Sox need an infielder, expect to see Campbell at the highest level, especially if he gets off to a strong start in 2025.
3. Roman Anthony
If it weren't for Roki Sasaki being posted to MLB this winter, outfielder Roman Anthony would be the #1 prospect in baseball. In 2024, Anthony put up an impressive .344/.463/.519 at Triple-A Worcester over 35 games. Over the season, he hit 18 home runs and drove in 65 RBIs, adding 21 steals on the campaign. He has great numbers, but I want to focus primarily on what he did at Triple-A.
At just 20 years old, where most haven't even been drafted out of college yet, Anthony recorded an 18.9 percent walk rate, an elite mark for even the best veteran hitters. His strikeout rate also plummeted from 25.5 percent in Double-A to 18.9 percent in Worcester, matching his walk rate. Given this was over 164 plate appearances in AAA, it's safe to say this isn't a mere small sample, but more so the marking of a player that has broken out and is ready for the highest level of competition baseball can offer.
Anthony is ready now, but the common belief is that he won't break camp right out of Spring Training, given that Boston's outfield is already set with Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Ceddanne Rafaela. Nevertheless, there's also a common belief that there's no slowing down in sight, and at some point, he will force Boston's hand and earn a major league roster spot this year.