This Gave Roman Anthony ‘Chills’ Before Red Sox Opening Day

One of the Red Sox’s elite prospects will have a dream come true Thursday afternoon.

Kristian Campbell on Sunday found out he made Boston’s Opening Day roster. After a meteoric rise through the minors last season, Campbell put together a late surge in spring training to solidify himself as the Red Sox’s starting second baseman. While Campbell likely will encounter some growing pains, it’s also easy to envision the 22-year-old helping Boston in a variety of ways.

Campbell was the lone upper-echelon Boston prospect to make the Opening Day roster, as both Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony will open the 2025 campaign in Triple-A Worcester. Mayer and Anthony obviously each have strong aspirations to play at baseball’s highest level, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less excited about Campbell’s opportunity.

“One of those moments where you see it and just get chills. I’m super pumped for him,” Anthony told reporters Monday in Mexico, per The Boston Globe. “And I think it just goes to show you that it’s right there, that anything can happen. …He did a great job this spring of showing up prepared and being ready, so I’m not really that surprised (by his call-up), but it’s super motivating for everyone.”

Thanks to a revamped roster, Boston was in a fortunate spot where it didn’t need to rush any of its “big three” prospects to the majors. The chips happened to fall in Campbell’s favor this time around, but as Anthony noted, an opportunity in The Show can be opened in the blink of an eye.

So, the 20-year-old might not have to wait long for his own “welcome to the big leagues” moment.