The Boston Red Sox have shown only promise down the stretch, but ever since Roman Anthony went down, it seemed like the team went down with him.
With him and many others on the shelf, along with inconsistency, the team is left searching for reinforcements. With the roster having endless depth, the solution they chose was Nate Eaton, Nick Sogard, and Ali Sanchez.
Instead, they should be relying on the farm, since they've been doing that with their young pitchers. Boston has several of them ready, hungry, and just waiting to get that call, including Kristian Campbell, Jhostynxon Garcia, and Mikey Romero.
3 Players Can Save Red Sox's Momentum
Kristian Campbell is a player who was brought down because of a hard slump, becoming one of the worst hitters in baseball after his amazing April, earning him an eight-year, $60 million extension.
He originally started as a second baseman this year, but now, he's been alternating between the infield, including first base, and is now being put in right field. The latter is where he's been performing pretty well, and it'll fit the mold pretty well instead of Eaton in right.
Mikey Romero, a former first-round pick out of high school, brings a different kind of boost. He's been soaring through the ranks this year as the #8 prospect in their system, coming through AA Portland and now in AAA Worcester. He's now batting .243 with 17 home runs, 73 RBIs, with 103 hits on the season, with an OPS of .758. He's been red-hot, hitting 13 doubles in 40 games in Worcester, adding to his season total of 31.
Romero had his adjustment period, and now he's ready to be called up. Anything is better than Sogard, and if he can be half as decent as the way he's been performing this year, he'll be a much better solution.
Jhostynxon Garcia is perhaps the most intriguing one of the group. The outfielder has shown both fielding and power in the minors this season and was deservedly called up just before the September call-ups hit. While he still got his first major league hit, he was also batting .143 in five games (seven at-bats).
He's gotten back to hitting the AAA level after his demotion, and since then, has already been hitting like he was before the call-up. He should have a bounce back, and he more than deserves it.
Red Sox's Rest-of-Season Outlook
At this stage of the season, the Red Sox do not need perfection, but they do need momentum. Calling up these three men would inject more youth and versatility into the roster at a time when fresh legs and hungry players can make a tangible difference.
Development timelines often dictate caution, but the standings do demand urgency. The Blue Jays are all but a lock for their division title, and the Red Sox are slipping away from the Yankees for second place, being two games behind them. The Guardians are catching up, and the Rangers are right behind them as well.
The Guardians are 11-4 this month and have won 10 of their last 11. They're red-hot right now, and it's something to be aware of. They're only 2.5 games back of the Red Sox for the last Wild Card spot.
They shouldn't worry about the Guardians, as the Red Sox are only half a game behind the Astros for the second spot. If they can overtake them in the next week or so, they'll be safer. That's the goal, and they need to cowboy up.
If they want to push past the mediocre spectrum and keep their playoff hopes alive, turning to these younger prospects can be a bold move that the team needs.