The Boston Red Sox are seeking a turnaround after a three-game sweep by the Milwaukee Brewers, which featured two walk-off defeats. With a 27-31 record and a current five-game losing streak, Boston is preparing for a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves while dealing with a struggling offense. Fans are increasingly urging the team to promote Roman Anthony, MLB’s top prospect, in hopes of sparking improvement.
Despite the pressure, Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow recently explained the reasoning behind keeping the 21-year-old Anthony in Triple-A Worcester for now, emphasizing the complexities involved in such a decision.
Craig Breslow Details Thought Process on Roman Anthony’s Development
Selected in the second round of the 2022 draft, Roman Anthony has steadily advanced through the minor leagues, reaching Triple-A last season with 131 at-bats. Throughout 2025, Anthony has maintained an impressive .318 batting average and a .978 OPS over 176 at-bats, highlighting his readiness on paper and fueling fans’ calls for his major league debut.
However, Breslow cautioned against rushing Anthony’s promotion, stating,
“It’s really difficult to predict that someone is going to be successful out of the gate,”
and added,
“You’re making these long-term, probabilistic bets that guys who perform the way Kristian and Marcelo and Roman have tend to be productive big leaguers.”
He further elaborated on the importance of careful preparation:
“But does that happen in Week 1, Month 1, Season 1? You don’t know. You try to round out their development as well as possible. It’s really important that communication between our major league staff and player-development group is seamless so we know exactly what their training, game-planning and routines look like so we can control as many of those variables as possible knowing what we can’t control.”
Impact of Kristian Campbell’s Recent Slump on Promotion Debate
A major factor influencing fan impatience is the decline in rookie Kristian Campbell’s performance. After a strong start to the season, Campbell’s batting average has plummeted to .120 in May. His OPS started exceptionally high in March at 1.188 and remained solid in April at .848, but it has since dropped sharply to .335 across 75 at-bats in May—the lowest OPS recorded by any player since May 10.
By comparison, other slumping hitters like Juan Soto and Trevor Story maintain OPS marks above .400 during the same period, underscoring the severity of Campbell’s struggles.
The Delicate Balance Between Patience and Urgency for the Red Sox
Despite the recent challenges and growing calls for immediate solutions, the Red Sox leadership remains focused on a long-term strategy. Roman Anthony’s standout performance in Triple-A reflects potential that the team wants to develop thoroughly before transitioning him to the major leagues.
As the season continues, Boston must carefully weigh the urgency of reversing its losing streak against the need for fostering its emerging talent. The hope is that sustained patience, paired with precise timing on promotions and strategic adjustments, will guide the team back to competitiveness in the near future.