BOSTON -- When Kristian Campbell takes the field with the Red Sox on Thursday to close out this seven-game homestand, it will mark the four-week anniversary of his Major League debut.
And what an action-packed first month it has been in the Majors for MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 prospect (Boston’s No. 2).
In his first 23 games and 96 plate appearances in the Major Leagues, Campbell put together a batting line of .300/.406/.475 with five doubles, three homers and eight RBIs. He is in the early conversations as a top candidate for the American League’s Rookie of the Year Award. And all of this happened after signing an eight-year, $60-million contract less than a week after making his debut.
Campbell spent a few minutes with MLB.com on Wednesday discussing his first month as a Major Leaguer.
MLB.com: What is the most different thing about offense at this level?
Campbell: Just how much we talk about game-planning. We did it in the Minor Leagues also, but it’s a little bit more direct here with a lot of guys who have done it for a long time and know exactly what they're doing. So we talked about it as a team and individually, sometimes amongst each other to talk about what we see, stuff like that. So the pitching we’ve faced has been great. It’s been tough. We all talk about it and figure it out together.
MLB.com: How much has your early success given you confidence?
Campbell: Yeah, I do feel confident at the plate. That’s really a good part of hitting, in my opinion. If you keep your confidence up, no matter what's going on, that’s a big piece of it. I feel like we all can hit. It’s just mentally, you’ve got to stay locked in through the good and through the bad.
MLB.com: Alex Cora was up front early in Spring Training that you’d need to make swift improvements in turning double plays to earn a spot on the roster. How much have you improved on that?
Campbell: I think quite a bit. I’ve been working on staying short and just making everything [as] fast as possible. Get the ball to me and out of my glove as fast as possible when it comes to turning. So that's been a work in progress for the last two or three months, and I feel like I've come a long way. For sure, it's more natural now. I don't really have to think about it.
MLB.com: I’ve noticed that you aren’t shy about pumping your fist or showing emotion when you get a big hit. That was especially evident when you got the two-run single on Patriots Day to key a three-run rally. Where does that come from?
Campbell: In that game [on Monday], particularly, I was just locked in and I was fighting that at-bat. I went from 0-2 to 3-2 and then got the hit. I just liked that one a little more because of what a tough at-bat it was. In that spot I wanted to contribute. It's not a terrible thing [to show emotion], obviously, not anything too over the top. I’ve always shown a little emotion ever since high school.
MLB.com: Speaking of high school, your brother Kayden [Campbell] is a 16-year-old junior who plays the infield at Pope High in Marietta, Ga., and he’s already a name on the recruiting trail. How much do you think you’ll be able to help him?
Campbell: He's a really good prospect. He's young, and he's a really good baseball player. He plays the infield and a little bit of outfield, pretty much like me, just bigger. Probably he's my size right now, and he's 16, so might be a little bit bigger than me, but he's physically there. He's smart and a good student. He's going to be good. I've been teaching him a lot. I teach him everything I learned, so he's learning everything the right way for the first time. For me to be my brother’s mentor is really important. Just being able to pass on what I know means a lot to me and it will give him the edge in going through what he’s going through right now.
MLB.com: Has the last month gone fast or slow for you?
Campbell: Fast. Definitely fast. I feel like we’re always on the road, or always playing. I can’t believe it’s been a month. It doesn’t seem like that. It’s been fun.