How Kristian Campbell Can Help Red Sox Land Prized Asset

Kristian Campbell stands to help the Red Sox in more ways than one this season.

Campbell, who reportedly will make Boston’s Opening Day roster, can provide a lot to the ballclub on a game-to-game basis with his supreme athleticism, defensive versatility and impactful bat. And if the 22-year-old puts together an outstanding rookie season, the Red Soc could be rewarded handsomely.

As MassLive’s Chris Cotillo pointed out in a column published Sunday, Boston could benefit from MLB’s “Prospect Promotion Incentive” this season. Introduced to the league before the start of the 2022 season, the PPI rewards clubs that roster top prospects for virtually an entire campaign. If a top prospect logs 172 days or more of service time in a single season and wins Rookie of the Year or finishes inside the top three of MVP or Cy Young voting, his respective club will receive an additional draft pick.

To be eligible for the PPI, a prospect must be featured in two of the three most prominent preseason top 100 rankings: Baseball America, ESPN and MLB.com. However, Campbell would become ineligible for the incentive if he and the Red Sox agreed to a long-term contract extension imminently. That scenario is “unlikely,” per Cotillo.

So, if Campbell wins American League Rookie of the Year this season, Boston would receive a draft pick after the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft. If he doesn’t claim that hardware this season, the Red Sox still could receive an additional draft pick if Campbell finishes inside the top three of AL MVP voting in either 2027 or 2028.

While it’s an ambitious hypothetical for a player who hasn’t yet played a big league game, it’s not impossible. Cotillo provided a reminder that the Seattle Mariners (Julio Rodríguez), Arizona Diamondbacks (Corbin Carroll), Baltimore Orioles (Gunnar Henderson) and Kansas City Royals (Bobby Witt Jr.) all benefited from the PPI in the last two years alone.

The Red Sox already boast one of the best farm systems in all of baseball, and it could become even better if Campbell storms out of the gate.