Meanwhile, Anthony and Mayer continue to rake with Triple-A Worcester, signaling they’re ready to make the jump to the next level and just waiting on the Red Sox to give them the call they’ve dreamt about.
And once Anthony and Mayer join Campbell in the big leagues, they’ll be aided even more by pieces of advice Campbell plans to pass along to them.
“When I got here, everyone told me to be myself and do what I did in the minor leagues and I’ll be fine,” Campbell told The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey. “That’s made me successful so far, I just try not to make it bigger than it is, even though it is a big step into Major League Baseball. So I would tell (Anthony and Mayer) to be the same as they are, don’t try to do too much, but take it in at the same time because you debut one time and it is definitely going to be different. It hits people differently in different ways.”
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Campbell certainly can relate to Anthony, 21, and Mayer, 22, and not just as a big-time prospect trying to crack the majors. Campbell has played both in the infield and outfield — 31 starts at second at second base and five starts in the outfield — during his time with the Red Sox, making him better suited to let Anthony and Mayer know what to look out for on a big-league diamond.
“Speed of the game is a little bit faster,” Campbell said. “I would tell Marcelo, specifically, for the infield, know who’s up to bat and know who’s running. Make sure your internal clock is good, knowing how fast guys are helps because I learned that early. Some plays are dead when there’s no play, there’s no play. There’s not too much you can do when that happens.”
While those in the baseball world salivate over Anthony’s pure left-handed swing, questions have been raised about his defensive capabilities.
Anthony has split his time across the three outfield positions this season with 12 starts in left field, eight in center field and four in right field. He also started 11 games at designated hitter.
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Learning how to play outfield at Fenway Park and deal with the massive wall in left or the vast amount of space in right could be a tricky assignment for Anthony. But Campbell believes Anthony will just need to lean on defensive placement card to put himself in the best position to have defensive success.
“Just being on your card and knowing exactly where you’re supposed to be, whoever’s up at bat just being very specific, and being in the right spot at all times,” Campbell said. “In the minor leagues, you have to be in the right spot, but you’re held to a higher standard here in the major leagues.”
