Kristian Campbell Vouches For Ex-College Teammate Turned AL East Foe

Boston Red Sox rookie Kristian Campbell spent his college days at Georgia Tech, playing alongside Chandler Simpson of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Simpson was selected in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft, and Campbell was drafted in the fourth round by Boston the following year. The Yellow Jacket products worked their way through the minor league ranks and received their long-awaited big league call-ups this season, not too far from each other. Campbell joined the Red Sox on Opening Day, and Simpson arrived a few weeks later in Tampa Bay — a move Campbell supports wholeheartedly from afar.

“He’s extremely fun to watch,” Campbell told MLB Network’s “Intentional Talk” on Tuesday. “He’s an extremely exciting player to be around and a really good person. Being on the field with him is crazy to watch. He’s the fastest person I’ve ever played with also. He’s a spark plug. He’s somebody you want at the top of your lineup to get on base for you. He’s gonna do his job, and he’s really good at it — and he’s a really good defender out there in centerfield, so it’s everything you can ask for for a guy like him.”

Ranked as the No. 7 top prospect in Tampa Bay’s farm system, Simpson has shown slight shades of Jarren Duran since being promoted. The 24-year-old, like Duran, has lightning-fast speed on the base path and that’s what caught the eyes of big league scouts during Simpson’s time at Georgia Tech. He recorded eight stolen bases across 17 games in Triple-A to open up the 2025 season, and last season logged more walks (44) than strikeouts (43) playing in High-A and Double-A.

Simpson, although limited in big league experience, looks the part of a longtime veteran whenever he’s soaring across the bases. When Rays teammate Yandy Díaz chopped a two-hopper ground ball against the New York Yankees on Sunday, Simpson flew all the way from second base to home plate. Yankees shortstop Oswald Peraza didn’t even have enough time to gather and fire a throw before Simpson slid safely.

“I feel like God gave me the gift to motivate and inspire other generations that come after me,” Simpson told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. “I mean, I’ve heard it my whole life about the little power I have. But you don’t have to hit home runs in this home-run era. There’s other stuff that I can do well on the field that can make up for it.”