Red Sox' Kristian Campbell Adjusts Swing Ahead of 2026 Season

Campbell explains changes to his swing, including lowering his hands, to improve his hitting performance.

Feb. 12, 2026 at 9:23am

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Red Sox outfielder Kristian Campbell made adjustments to his swing this offseason, lowering his hands and simplifying his mechanics. Campbell struggled at the plate for parts of the 2025 season but is hoping the swing changes will help him get to pitches, especially low and inside, more quickly. He worked on the adjustments with the Red Sox coaching staff rather than an outside hitting coach.

Why it matters

Campbell had a strong start to the 2025 season, earning Rookie of the Month honors in April, but then went into a prolonged slump. The Red Sox are hoping these swing changes will help Campbell regain his early-season form and become a more consistent contributor to their lineup.

The details

Campbell said he lowered his hands and simplified his swing, eliminating extra movement. He felt "disconnected" last year with his high hands and leg kick. The adjustments are aimed at allowing him to get to pitches, especially low and inside, more quickly. Campbell has been working on the changes in batting practice, using the Trajekt pitching machine, and during his time playing winter ball in Puerto Rico.

  • Campbell batted .301 with a .407 on-base percentage, .495 slugging percentage and .902 OPS in 29 games (123 plate appearances) during the first month of the 2025 season.
  • But he then went just 20-for-126 (.159 batting average) in 38 games in May and June. The Red Sox optioned him to Triple-A Worcester on June 20.

The players

Kristian Campbell

A Red Sox outfielder who made adjustments to his swing this offseason after struggling at the plate for parts of the 2025 season.

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What they’re saying

“It's a lot of less movement and my swing is a lot simpler, for sure. My hands are lower because my hands were high last year. My hands are a lot lower this year than last year. Last year, I felt like I had a lot of trouble getting to the low pitches — low and inside specifically. So moving my hands down helped me to be able to get to all pitches and get to that one a lot easier. So it's just like really a straighter path to the ball in my opinion. It's quicker.”

— Kristian Campbell

“We talked about it and just trying to get everything simple because I was disconnected a lot last year because my hands were high and I had a lot going off my legs and stuff. So just trying to simplify everything so I can go from one point to another as fast as possible.”

— Kristian Campbell

What’s next

Campbell will look to carry the improvements from his swing adjustments into the 2026 season as he aims to regain the form he showed early in 2025 and become a consistent contributor to the Red Sox lineup.

The takeaway

Kristian Campbell's swing changes, including lowering his hands and simplifying his mechanics, demonstrate the Red Sox' commitment to helping young players make adjustments to unlock their full potential. If the changes pay off, it could be a significant boost for the Red Sox' offense in 2026.