FORT MYERS, Fla. – Kristian Campbell’s one-out single in the first plated the first Red Sox run of 2026, and he came within feet of a grand slam in the fourth but had to settle for a sacrifice fly in Friday’s 18-3 victory over the Northeastern Huskies.
Even this early in spring training, it’s clear that Campbell feels more comfortable than last year, when he was a top prospect in his first big-league camp and competing to make the Opening Day roster, which he ultimately did. If his demeanor isn’t enough of an indication, he’ll gladly admit it, too. More reserved than fellow “Big Three” prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer, Campbell, still only 23 years old, had another type of adjustment to make, one that had been difficult for him in the past.
“Going into college from high school, you don’t really know anyone around you, you’ve got to get used to people, coaches, just people around you, and there’s a lot to do all at once sometimes,” Campbell said. “It was the same thing, kind of, last year coming into big-league camp, not really being familiar with anybody. Just getting to know your teammates, getting to know the coaches, and everybody all at once can be tough sometimes.”
“People are different in different ways,” he added. “I’m more on the quiet side, so it takes me a second to get used to people sometimes.”
A key aspect of Campbell’s comfortability is daily outfield work, something that will continue throughout the Grapefruit League schedule, because Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Masataka Yoshida are all participating in next month’s World Baseball Classic. Though Campbell said he’s going to miss his teammates while they’re competing in the tournament and will be watching their games, he’s “looking forward to” getting consistent playing time in the outfield.
“Right now, especially because I’ve been working with the outfielders every day … that’s my group,” Campbell said. “I definitely feel like an outfielder for sure. I think last year I definitely felt like a utility (player).”
This does, however, create questions about where Campbell fits beyond preseason play.
“For sure, in the outfield I definitely can (let my athleticism take over),” Campbell said enthusiastically. “I’ve got two Gold Glovers to learn from (in Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu).”
Defensive struggles impacted Campbell’s bat last season, and vice versa. He hit .301 with a .901 OPS in 29 games between Opening Day and the end of April, and earned Rookie of the Month honors. But in 38 games between the start of May until his demotion to Triple-A Worcester in late June, he batted .159 with a .465 OPS. “For me it goes hand in hand,” he explained. “Just adjusting to the level of play, the speed of the game is one thing, and then trying to keep up with the level of play on defense is another thing also.”
Campbell spent the rest of the season working in Triple-A and played some winter ball in Puerto Rico. He arrived in camp financially secure on the eight-year, $60 million extension he signed last April, but less certain of his positional future with the Red Sox than last spring.
“Trying to keep up as a young player is tough sometimes,” Cambell said, “and I was doing it for a minute (last year). That was the bright side of it, and then I didn’t do it for a couple months. That’s how it goes sometimes, but there’s plenty of development to be done, and I’m still working hard to get better each and every day.” ‘
Begin with a blowout
It doesn’t even count toward the spring training record, let alone the 2026 season record, but baseball returned at last to the Red Sox universe on a sun-soaked Friday afternoon at JetBlue Park. And in blowout fashion, as they demolished the Northeastern University Huskies 18-3 in their annual exhibition matchup.
The first two innings of the pitching-and-defense-first 2026 Red Sox was less than ideal, but they finished the seven-inning game strong, scoring at least one run every inning between the third and sixth, including nine runs in the final frame.
Right-handed prospect Tyler Uberstine, described by manager Alex Cora earlier this week as “intriguing,” struggled through his 1 ⅓ innings (20 pitches, 15 strikes). After opening with a three-pitch strikeout, Uberstine allowed three straight singles to give the Huskies an immediate 1-0 lead before he could retire the side. NEU scored again in top of the second, on left-fielder Anthony Ruggiero’s single, back-to-back stolen bases and an error by catcher Ronald Rosario, the first of two errors the Red Sox made in the inning.
Those were the only errors Boston committed. Max Carlson, Wyatt Olds, who received the win, Noah Song, Jeremy Wu-Yelland, and Jack Anderson pitched the rest of the way. Anderson led the staff with two innings and matched Uberstine’s game-leading three strikeouts, but allowed the final Huskies run in the top of the seventh before the two-hour and 22-minute contest game to an end.
Masataka Yoshida collected the first hit and first extra-bagger of 2026. Playing left-field and batting second behind Nate Eaton, Yoshida doubled and scored on Kristian Campbell’s RBI single.
The first Red Sox home run of 2026 belonged to Rosario, who greeted NEU’s Scott Longo with a 408-foot solo shot to begin the bottom of the third. Rosario stopped at second, believing he had a double, only to be waved around by third-base coach Tim Hudson.
Shortstop prospect Mikey Romero hit the first triple of the year, an RBI knock in the bottom of the fourth.
