WORCESTER — It’s not just the media that calls Red Sox talent Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel the “Big Three.” Their teammates do too.
Teel posted a photo of the three of them together on his Instagram account on Sunday after their promotion to Triple-A Worcester.
Portland Double-A pitcher Christopher Troye commented “Big 3” and added the fire emoji.
But do the Red Sox really have a Big Four?
“We call him Barry Bonds, just because he’s such a good hitter,” Anthony said of Kristian Campbell, the other promising rookie who has a good case to join them.
Since being promoted to Portland from High-A Greenville, Campbell has a .372 batting average with a .476 on-base percentage, a .580 slugging percentage, a 1.056 OPS, seven home runs, 16 doubles, one triple, 32 RBIs, 43 runs, 32 walks and 33 strikeouts in 50 games (227 plate appearances).
“He’s a great player. He’s an exceptional athlete,” Anthony said. “He plays the game the right way and is a great person on and off the field. And it’s rare that you get a player like him who can play so many different premium positions and play at his level while putting up the numbers that he’s put up.”
Campbell can play shortstop, center field, second baseman, third baseman and left field.
The 22-year-old was known as a contact hitter at Georgia Tech, but there were concerns about his impact, one reason he slipped to the fourth round even though he is now a first-round talent.
The Red Sox asked Campbell to trade some contact for more power. He has also significantly increased his bat velocity, which leads to more extra-base power. His strikeout percentage, while up early in the season, has continued to decline since arriving in Portland.
“He’s been working hard all offseason. He was in Florida every day we were there,” Anthony said. “Every day in spring training. He’s constantly working hard. So it’s not a fluke. But we hope to see him here soon because he’s a real stud.”
Baseball America ranks Mayer No. 10, Anthony No. 18, Teel No. 31 and Campbell No. 98 on its top 100 list.
Mayer called Campbell’s performance “super impressive.”
“I just love watching him play,” Mayer said. “He’s just such a unique player and so athletic. And he can do everything at such a high level that it’s incredibly impressive to watch him.”
