The Boston Red Sox have had plenty of storylines during Spring Training. But one of their biggest has been the bid of their top three prospects to make the Opening Day roster.
Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer are considered to be the future of the organization and rightfully carried plenty of hype into camp. All three are ranked in the top 12 of MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects list entering the 2025 season and it’s a matter of when – not if – these players make their major league debut this summer.
While Red Sox fans are excited to see each of them at the major league level, they were handed some bad news on Sunday when Alex Cora revealed some of the thought process behind their chances of making the trip to Texas on March 27.
Alex Cora Suggests Red Sox Top Prospects Unlikely to Make Opening Day Roster
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Cora said that Anthony, Campbell and Mayer will not make the Opening Day roster for “ceremonial purposes.” He also stressed the need for each player to win a job out of Spring Training and stressed the team’s desire to win over the trio’s development at the major league level.
“Playing time is important. The development of the player is important,” Cora said via MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “But I think winning games right now is more important.”
Cora’s comments are based on how camp has played out. Anthony is the No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline and has had a solid spring, hitting .273/.429/.455 with a home run and eight RBI in 10 games (28 plate appearances). But he’s also stuck in a numbers game with fellow outfielders Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu penciled into the Opening Day lineup.
Mayer is MLB Pipeline’s No. 12 prospect entering next season and finds himself in a similar position. The 22-year-old has raked at the plate, hitting .360/.429/.560 with a home run and seven RBI in 13 games (28 plate appearances) but Trevor Story and Alex Bregman are locked into starting spots on the left side of the infield to open the year.
Then there’s Campbell, who is seventh on MLB Pipeline’s top prospects list and entered camp with the possibility to become the team’s Opening Day second baseman. But the Grapefruit League hasn’t been kind to the 22-year-old who is hitting just .152/.263/.182 in 14 games (38 plate appearances).
While Cora admitted all three have shown flashes during camp, he also doesn’t believe platooning at the major league level is the answer entering this season.
“I think it’s fair to say it,” Cora said. “There’s still development, but at the same time you see it. But that at bat by Roman against the lefty, that was a mature bat and we’ve seen that through camp. He played some good outfield in Jupiter. He moved well. Marcelo’s doing the same thing. Campbell has struggled. That’s part of it, right? Like, not everybody is going to slow it down in camp and be perfect, but that’s part of the progression.”
These comments make it seem like The Big Three’s season is more likely to start in Worcester than Boston. But that patience could be rewarded if one of them makes their major league debut this summer.