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We have a major update surrounding the second base position for the Boston Red Sox. I'm here to break down who is now the odds-on favorite to be the opening day starter at second base for the Boston Red Sox on this episode of Red Sox Digest. So let's not waste any time and get right to it. Before we do, I will say, do remember to subscribe to the channel if you are a part of that 86.5%. Again, it only takes one second. Scroll down, click the subscribe button. We do appreciate all the love and support. So again, Thank you guys so very much. But now let's get to it again and break down the major updates surrounding the Red Sox. And will Christian Campbell be the Sox opening day second baseman? Now, we have a brand new article written by Sean McAdam that suggests he damn well might be. So again, let's get to it. Reporting with Chris Colito in Red Sox roster battles. Christian Campbell and Aroldis Chapman pull ahead. So again, speaking about Aroldis Chapman, we will discuss that in a full breakdown in the following episode of Red Sox Digest. It's about the closing situation and really the back end of the bullpen and how it's really going to look for the Red Sox as the opening day officially starts and the season continues to go on. But right now we are discussing a. In my opinion, a much more important battle between the second base position. And the reason I will argue that is a more substantial and more important situation in battle for a position is because we might be putting a young prospect at the helm to start the season, despite early struggles through spring. So Chris Colito, as well as Sean McAdam, go on to say and write in this article. For now, though. The tea leaves paint an interesting picture. As things stand as present, top prospect Christian Campbell remains squarely in the mix to win the second base job. Despite struggling at the plate so far this spring, it appears to be the favorite in the mind of the team decision makers over David Hamilton and Vaughn Grisham and others. So again, this is huge. Why is this huge? Because the other two guys that are mentioned, David Hamilton as well as Grisham, this is... Both these guys not being labeled as the favorites leads me to think that there is a legitimate chance that Christian Campbell is going to end up being on this opening day roster and not only on the opening day roster but as the starting second baseman for the Boston Red Sox. Now, we saw David Hamilton last year. We saw him play not only second base but really of a utility role for this Red Sox team because he was such a great or an elite base runner, I should say. And really has such an elite ability to steal bags, whether he was pitch running for players or he was playing second baseman shortstop. Wherever you decide to put him because of utility, he looked. Excellent, and it was a really, really big boost for this Red Sox team, which is something that I didn't think we were going to go away from. I would expect Hamilton to be on the bench and obviously on the opening day roster for the Red Sox. Grisham, it seems like, is going to be demoted to AAA and will be playing for the AAA team until either there is an injury or he proves that he has vastly improved and is ready to take over the role. Now, for Christian Campbell, obviously. McAdam mentioned, as well as I did, that he's been struggling this spring, and there's no real way around it. If you look at his batting average, he's only hitting 159 in over 35 attempts, or 35 ADs, I should say. His OPS is at 500. It's not a great overall statistical production from, or there is not a great level of overall statistical production offensively coming from Christian Campbell through this time of spring. Now, again, he's 22 years old. He's a young prospect. We have an... Seen a lot of reps on the professional stage, if you will, from him. If you're assuming that spring would be considered professional level, which I would because a lot of those guys are starters, at least towards this point of spring where we do see Christian Campbell still actively playing in these games. So again. I love the idea of him being on the opening day roster. I love the idea of him being our starting second baseman on opening day. But please, do not jump the gun. Do not see the fact that he's batting 159 and throw your hands up, punch your screen, throw your laptop, throw your TV across the room because you're like, why would Alex Cora, why would the Red Sox organization bring up a young prospect if he's clearly not ready offensively? Well, if you look at his glove... And his defensive capabilities through spring, obviously, he's been great. He's been, and it doesn't matter if he's in left field, short, or excuse me, second base or in center. Obviously, he played center last spring. But now in this spring, through this point of spring, he's played only left field and second base. He has 61 innings at second base and a total of 33 different chances at second. He has yet to make an error. And again, I know the offense production is what it is, but he's batting 1,000 on defensive reps in live games at second base as well as left field. He has the versatility to move around, whether it is second or in left or really anywhere else in the outfield, it seems like this young man has the athletic ability to really get the job done and cover a lot of ground and has the arm strength to really do it. But again, he's going to be the second baseman. For the Boston Red Sox, odds are, again, odds are he's going to be, but even Fangraphs now has him listed as the odds-on favorite, or statistical favorite, to be the starting second baseman for the Red Sox. Now you see Bregman in second place at 27%, and I don't even believe it's that high. And the reason I do is really what I should have opened this video with. I just know everyone is so tired of the saturated conversation. Of Alex Bregman and Raphael Devers and what's going on at third and D8. And the reason I bring it up is because nothing has changed. The last time we reported on that story, Bregman was the starting third baseman for the Boston Red Sox because of comments made by Raphael Devers saying that he wants to do whatever it takes to make this team win and better. And I just want to be a part of it. I'm paraphrasing greatly, but you understand what I'm saying. Which we, everyone in the media, in the media world, in the Red Sox organization, And anyone surrounding the Red Sox took action. As Devers was compliant and okay with moving the third base, or excuse me, from moving from third base to DH, allowing third base to be opened up for another player to take the position, which we wouldn't even take an assumption is Alex Bregman. He's played the last nine years. On the MLB level, at third base, for a great team. Whether you love them or you hate them, they've been competitive year after year after year after year. And Bregman has been the third baseman year after year after year. And now he's in a different uniform and nothing should change. The defensive capabilities go up. Obviously, the offensive abilities go up because we've added Alex Bregman. Raphael Devers did not go anywhere, as well as the other great pieces that we have on this roster. And again, Devers at DH, Bregman at third allows the second base competition to be a thing because if Devers remains at third and Bregman then has to move to second, Grisham, Hamilton, and Campbell don't have a chance to play second unless Bregman has two holes in his glove. He plays barehand, basically, because the man is an elite fielder. He's a great defensive man, as well as just a great overall baseball player. No way to argue that. But again, with Devers moving to DH and allowing Bregman to play third base, that opened up the competition fully in full stride for the second base competition, where we've now watched through spring, we've watched players like Dable Hamilton come out and flat out perform. Obviously, he's not. He's not the greatest ballplayer to ever live. I'm not arguing that. But again, he's hitting 250. Excuse me, that was last season. I apologize. This spring, he's hitting 240, about roughly the same numbers. But again, in 11 hits and 46 ABs, he's scored nine runs. He's hit two home runs. He's hit six RBIs, and he has five stolen bags. Something very similar numbers to what we expected to see last year and really did see from David Hamilton in the regular season last year. I think Hamilton is never going to leave the bench bearing a start, obviously, on a few random days, whenever he has to platoon or whether it's some fatigue issues, injuries. Hamilton is going to be in there because of the utility and the versatility that he brings. But for the starting second baseman, obviously, we discussed Grisham going to the AAA level because his numbers offensively have resembled a lot thereof of the young prospect in Christian Campbell. As again, he's only batting 176 and 34 ABs with six hits. He has no home runs. And again, only three RBIs and has not stolen any bags. Now, the glove, I don't have the numbers in front of me for Grisham. But it seems like Christian Campbell has made an excellent appearance at second base and a great, great introduction and really just. And overall, just really set the tone of what to expect from this young man. Obviously, the offensive struggles are there. But again, he's 22. Give him the chance to make an appearance. Give him a chance to gain some experience and really learn from these other guys. Now, we're quickly going to close out this video with the last quote from this article that we're citing from Sean McAdam and Chris Toledo because I started jumping around from stat to stat and I forgot to actually cite it. The Red Sox, however, won't make their decision based on a few exhibition games. They remain intrigued with Campbell's talent and potential, making him a strong candidate to break camp with the team. Hamilton would likely be in the mix as a depth option. Grisham seems slated for AAA in Worcester. So again, exactly what we were just discussing, just reconfirming it with a reliable source in that, in Sean McAdam and Chris Colito. So again, very interesting stuff. Let me know down below who you want to see starting at second base for the Boston Red Sox when the season officially starts down in Texas. And I'll see you guys on the next episode of Red Sox Digest.