Red Sox prospect Kristian Campbell shares honest take on first base transition

Boston Red Sox rookie Kristian Campbell has stepped up in a big way this season. He has been a bright spot for the club, playing games in left field, right field, and second base.

He has gone all over the field to help his club, and with Triston Casas down for the year, Boston has a void at first base. So, Campbell is now taking reps at first base to see if he can stick it.

First base is not an easy position to learn, especially on the fly at the big-league level. However, the rookie is more than up for the challenge, speaking about his experiences via NESN's Tom Caron.

"I think the good thing about first base is that I'm learning it for the first time. So, I'm learning how to do it the right way the first time, instead of having to be corrected from the way I learned previously," said Campbell.

Expand Tweet

This is MLB rookie's first time learning to play the position. While challenging, he likes that he is being taught the right way and will not have to deviate from being taught the wrong way as an amateur.

"The footwork hasn't been terrible. I've been an infielder before, so I kind of know what to expect when it comes certain plays that I expect a hop or a bad hop, or I expect a short throw. Just having feel for the infielders behind me" he added.

Campbell does not feel too far behind at first base. Being an infielder has helped him get reads on groundballs his way. He just needs to get more comfortable working the bag and receiving bad throws.

Learning a new position could be hurting Red Sox rookie Kristian Campbell offensively

Boston Red Sox - Kristian Campbell (Photo via IMAGN)

Kristian Campbell started off well at the plate for the Red Sox this season. Across his first eight games, he hit two home runs and had four multi-hit games, but he has since turned down the heat.

Expand Tweet

Since then, the Georgia Tech product has lost nearly 100 points on his batting average. Hits have been hard to come by, but he was able to brush off a four-game hitting streak yesterday, Wednesday, against the New York Mets.

Trying to learn a new position may not be helping his cause. He does not look as locked in at the plate as he did during the first few weeks of the season.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

Know More

Edited by Jared "Bloomy" Bloom