The 2025 season has been quite a ride for a certain 23-year-old Red Sox rookie. The 22-year-old debuted on the opening day, and just two weeks in, the fans had already pictured him as the Rookie of the Year. After all, he hit .375 (6-for-16) with two doubles and a homer through his first five games. He was the youngest Red Sox phenom to debut on Opening Day since Joe Lahoud in 1968.

In fact, by April, the Boston Red Sox had handed Kristian Campbell a whopping $60 million, eight-year contract. He was drafted in 2023, remember, and now he’s a second baseman and outfielder. Neat, right?  However, soon after he signed, he was struggling mightily. Consequently, the club sent him down to Triple-A Worcester after he hit only .134/.184/.171 in May.

In June, Campbell was optioned to the minor leagues on the 20th. Down there, he was trying to work things out offensively and get comfortable at first base. It has been great since then for the rookie, except for the time he dealt with a minor thumb injury that sidelined him for a brief time.

But as he came back on Tuesday, he returned to his record-setting 15-game hitting streak with Triple-A Worcester.  Looking every bit like the player the Red Sox hoped for, he’s slashing a stunning .393/.469/.589 with a 1.058 OPS. He has tallied 3 home runs, 9 RBIs, 7 walks, and only 12 strikeouts. Despite the impressive set of numbers, manager Alex Cora thinks the rookie is still a “work in progress.”

“There’s still work to do. He’s still a work in progress…he’s gotten better. The numbers show that. But there are a few things under the hood that we still need to get better at.” While all the fans assumed that it’s time for Campbell to be called up, Cora believes there is more to unleash for the rookie. Starting strong this year, Campbell had reached the base smoothly in 21 of 22 games. Back then, he was hitting .301 in April.

In contrast to Cora’s remarks, Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow expressed comparatively better confidence in Campbell. “We still are incredibly confident in the contribution that he’s going to make to this organization over the next nine or 10 years,” Breslow said, and it’s true. His Tuesday outing reflects his potential contribution to the Red Sox.

The 23-year-old Red Sox rookie’s bat remains scorching hot.

During the opening weeks of this season, Kristian Campbell set his tone early in the league by notching AL Rookie of the Month titles. But he found himself batting only .154 (20-for-130) from late April. After June 20th, the Red Sox expected the rookie to improve at the plate and ease the expectations that came with his $60 million contract. And now, he seems to be returning in his strongest version.

On Tuesday, it was the opening game of a six-game home series against the Buffalo Bisons. His name was on the lineup, and in his first at-bat, he got a base hit. That was the single that extended his hitting streak to 14 games.

To fans’ surprise, this record from Campbell is the longest by any WooS0ox player this season. In Red Sox history, Campbell was tied with Ceddanne Rafaela for the second-longest streak. He has started to make solid contact and has refined his control and authority with the ball.

The question that now arises is when the Red Sox will call him up again. Even if they do call him up, his playing time would be limited in major league games. The Red Sox will likely prefer to give Campbell more playing time, and for the same reason, they could keep him in Worcester for longer.

Realistically, he could return during the final stretch of this regular season. What do you think?