The Boston Red Sox might rank third in Major League Baseball in hits, but one Red Sox infielder can't seem to buy a hit as the calendar soon flips to May in Boston's season.
Infielder David Hamilton has struggled immensely out of the gate, managing only a measly two hits in 30 at-bats in the 2025 campaign. With Hamilton feeling the early-season blues and a well-documented history of marginal offensive output, his days on the 26-man roster may be numbered.
The emergence of dynamic rookie Kristian Campbell has also presented a roadblock at second base for Hamilton. Campbell has established himself as the everyday second baseman, slashing .305/.412/.474 in the early stages of his career. The 22-year-old was crowned as the 2024 Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America, and Boston reiterated their faith in Campbell by extending him to the tune of eight years and $60 million, less than a week into his MLB career.
Hamilton has centered his game around his speed on the basepaths, but Boston ranks second in the American League with 34 stolen bases, while only being caught six times, so it is not as if their ability to generate runs on the basepaths hinges on Hamilton's inclusion on the Major League roster. Also, needless to say, speed on the basepaths is rendered irrelevant if the player in question is unable to get on base.
The 27-year-old made his big league debut in June 2022 and has never quite found his footing in a Major League batter's box. As a career .221 hitter, an imminent demotion should not just be excused away as a slow start to the season. Rather, Hamilton's bat flat-out might not be able to cut it at the MLB level.
Hamilton originally joined the Red Sox organization as a trade chip from the Milwaukee Brewers in a December 2021 trade for Hunter Renfroe that also reunited Jackie Bradley Jr. with Boston. The former Texas Longhorn was an eighth-round pick by the Brew Crew in 2019.
One thing that is not helping Hamilton's cause either? Lurking in the shadows at Triple-A Worcester is former fourth overall pick Marcelo Mayer. Mayer was recently tabbed as the International League Player of the Week after a scorching-hot stretch.
He's been tearing it up. Marcelo Mayer is your International League Player of the Week 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/b9qDwZInt5
— Los Wepas de Worcester (@WooSox) April 28, 2025
The 22-year-old is MLB.com's 11th-ranked prospect and is hitting .280/.324/.548 with seven home runs and 34 RBI in 23 games so far in Triple-A. Mayer has played the vast majority of his games at shortstop in Worcester while also featuring in three games each at second and third base.
Outfielder Roman Anthony, the top-ranked prospect in baseball by numerous outlets, would also have a case to be called up, but Mayer is the more feasible option if the Red Sox want to maintain the current positional balance on their MLB roster. Boston's outfield group currently consists of Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Rob Refsnyder. Campbell has also appeared in the outfield, and Rafael Devers has transitioned into an everyday DH role this season. None of those players are going anywhere anytime soon, making Anthony's path to the bigs much murkier.
Unless Hamilton's bat somehow turns into 2013 World Series David Ortiz, it is difficult to envision him hanging onto a roster spot for much longer.