You remember Kristian Campbell? We were all pretty excited about him not so long ago.

Well, he's not actually a prospect anymore because he's gotten more than 130 at-bats in the majors. But he is a minor leaguer and has been for a couple months now.

Why so long? Things hadn't been going so well for him down there, continuing the struggles that got him sent to the minors in the first place. But he's still the guy that every major prospect rank list had in its top 10 coming into the season, and it seemed like only a matter of time before he found his groove again.

That time has arrived. Over his past 12 games, Campbell is batting .417 (20 for 48) with three homers and just a 16 percent strikeout rate. And here's the best part: Eight of those 12 games have come with him playing first base.

The Campbell-to-first base plan has been in the works since way back when Rafael Devers shot down the possibility of playing it himself, precipitating his move to the Giants, but the Red Sox said it would take some time for the rookie to make the transition. It may be happening just in time. Abraham Toro is still getting the majority of the at-bats there for the big club, but after an encouraging start, he's showing his true colors again, entering Wednesday with a .203 batting average and .541 OPS in his past 41 games.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has acknowledged Campbell's "promising results" without volunteering a timeline for his possible return. Maybe he's liking what he's seeing from Romy Gonzalez, who started Wednesday's game at first base. Maybe he wants to see Campbell sustain his recent production to confirm it's not a flash in the pan. One thing's for sure, though: If the Red Sox hope to go places this October, they need a first base upgrade, and it's not going to come in the form of a trade.

If Campbell still qualified as a prospect, he'd be in my ...

FIVE ON THE VERGE

(Here are the prospects most worth stashing in redraft leagues.)

2024 minors: .278 BA (472 AB), 19 HR, .847 OPS, 71 BB, 156 K
2025 minors: .278 BA (313 AB), 20 HR, .938 OPS, 46 BB, 106 K

First, the Diamondbacks weren't ready for Lawlar. Now, he's not ready for them, having been sidelined since June 25 by a hamstring strain. He reportedly took batting practice Tuesday, though, and is expected to be back in game action Thursday. (That's today!) From there, it's only a short hop to the majors, where Blaze Alexander has so far been the de facto fill-in for Eugenio Suarez. The Diamondbacks obviously cleared that third base job for their long-awaited top prospect, and while Lawlar's previous struggles in the majors might give you pause, you should know by now that a 22-game sample for a player just starting out is indicative of nothing. September is Lawlar's time to shine, if not a little sooner, and it shouldn't surprise anyone if he performs about like Trevor Story during that time.

Samuel Basallo, C, Orioles

2024 minors: .278 BA (479 AB), 19 HR, .790 OPS, 46 BB, 112 K
2025 minors: .275 BA (222 AB), 20 HR, .992 OPS, 40 BB, 60 K

The No. 2 prospect in my midseason top 50 homered again Wednesday. It was his third homer in as many games and his seventh in his past 14, during which time he's batting .362 (21 for 58). He's hitting the ball 94.2 mph on average with a maximum exit velocity of 115.9 mph, so it's fair to say that, as a hitter, there's little growth still to be had at Triple-A. Orioles GM Mike Elias seems to feel the same way, having this to say about Basallo and one other Orioles prospect who'll remain unnamed for the moment.

"They've come a long way, and they're almost there," Elias said the day after the trade deadline. "There's some things we're still looking for and hoping they'll do, but I do think getting them a taste in 2025 here would be a good thing for all parties." 

A taste, huh? That's a vague description, but we can narrow it down to a specific date: Aug. 15. That's when Baseball Prospectus says Basallo could come up without sacrificing his rookie eligibility for next year, provided the Orioles keep his at-bats under control -- which they would since they figure to have Adley Rutschman at catcher, Coby Mayo at first base and Ryan Mountcastle at DH by that point. Those are the three positions Basallo can play, and since you'd obviously be using him as a catcher in Fantasy, I suspect he'll get enough at-bats between the three to be worth your while.

2024 minors: .242 BA (451 AB), 15 HR, 31 SB, .750 OPS, 68 BB, 125 K
2025 minors: .302 BA (291 AB), 13 HR, 21 SB, .907 OPS, 54 BB, 62 K

The reason Mike Elias used "they" when discussing Basallo's possible promotion is because he was also referring to Beavers. The 23-year-old had been a second-tier prospect in the Orioles system since being drafted 33rd overall in 2022, but is gaining renown in a breakthrough season that's gone into overdrive lately. He entered Wednesday with back-to-back two-homer games and has homered 15 times in his past 46, walking more (36) than he's struck out (28) during that stretch.

Rarely do you see a prospect's contact skills and exit velocities improve at the same time, but that's been the case for Beavers this year, making him a second-tier prospect no more. Obviously, the Orioles don't have at-bats for everyone, but since they're currently playing Dylan Carlson in center field, I'd venture to say there's a clearer path for Beavers than for Basallo.

2024 minors: .259 BA (482 AB), 17 HR, 25 SB, .788 OPS, 54 BB, 200 K
2025 minors: .317 BA (259 AB), 29 HR, 16 SB, 1.119 OPS, 42 BB, 95 K

Just like that, the hottest name in all of prospectdom is 1 for 18 in past six games, though the strikeouts have been fine at just 23 percent. That rate is now 24 percent during the impossible 41-game stretch that's seen Jones hit .369 (58 for 157) with 19 homers and 15 steals while making use of a new weeble wobble stance. The 41-game sample is more revealing than the six-game one, I dare say, and the continued strikeout improvement suggests a more longstanding change.

The real issue is where he plays. Even with Aaron Judge limited to DH duties because of an elbow issue, the Yankees are overloaded in the outfield with Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Jasson Dominguez. The learning curve is steep for hitters graduating to the majors, so even though Jones would represent an upgrade over Grisham and Dominguez in theory, it's unlikely that he delivers on that promise right away. Also, Judge is likely back playing the outfield within a week anyway, so the Yankees may have to fall out of the playoff race (which is no sure thing, of course) before Jones can get meaningful at-bats. Even so, his power potential is too massive for you to let him go unclaimed in five-outfielder leagues.

2024 minors: .295 BA (105 AB), 2 HR, 2 SB, .805 OPS, 16 BB, 15 K
2025 minors: .307 BA (270 AB), 12 HR, 14 SB, .941 OPS, 48 BB, 48 K

The Cardinals didn't end up moving Nolan Arenado at the trade deadline, but he's on the IL with a shoulder injury that doesn't have a clear timeline during what's quickly becoming another lost year for one of the league's most storied franchises. Nolan Gorman has been filling in for Arenado at third base, and the Cardinals have purportedly wanted to give him that opportunity for a while now. But then again ...

Yeah ... I don't know how much more they need to see from Gorman, really. He has over 1,400 plate appearances in the majors now and is a career .222 hitter with a .733 OPS. Meanwhile, Wetherholt needs a place to play. He was the seventh overall pick in last year's draft and has leveled the minors in a way only Nick Kurtz can relate to, batting .338 (23 for 68) with six homers and an OPS over 1.100 in 18 games at Triple-A. He may have to wait until Aug. 15 to ensure he retains rookie eligibility for next season (giving the Cardinals a chance to secure an extra draft pick with a high Rookie of the Year finish), but his recent appearance at third base may signal what the Cardinals consider to be the clearest path for him. They could also shift Brendan Donovan to the outfield if they don't like what they're seeing from Lars Nootbaar, thus opening up second base for Wetherholt.

FIVE ON THE PERIPHERY

(Here are some other prospects doing something of note.)

2024 minors: .279 BA (280 AB), 8 HR, 10 SB, .845 OPS, 50 BB, 57 K
2025 minors: .305 BA (334 AB), 14 HR, 14 SB, .863 OPS, 27 BB, 57 K

Standing 6-feet-7, Eldridge has long been lauded for his power potential, and it's really come to manifest with his move up to Triple-A. He's now homered four times in his past four games, giving him eight in just 17 games at the highest minor league level with an average exit velocity of 95.6 mph and a max of 114.6. That's right around what Kyle Schwarber and Shohei Ohtani do, putting Eldridge at the top of the scales among major leaguers. Only he's 20 years old.

Despite his youth, he's pushing to reach the majors before season's end. I also can't help but notice that after spending a couple weeks transitioning Rafael Devers to first base, the Giants seem to have backed off that idea, starting Devers at DH in five of their past seven games. Might they be keeping first base open for Eldridge?

2024 minors: .242 BA (451 AB), 15 HR, 31 SB, .750 OPS, 68 BB, 125 K
2025 minors: .302 BA (291 AB), 13 HR, 21 SB, .907 OPS, 54 BB, 62 K

The 19th overall pick in last year's draft is batting .349 with a 1.070 OPS in his 28 games at Double-A Binghamton. While Benge's plate discipline has been his standout tool, his power has really taken off there with a marked improvement in fly-ball rate, giving him five home runs in his past eight games. Seeing as power was the more questionable part of his profile, I'd say Benge has gone from being a fringe Dynasty asset to a considerable one.

2024 minors: 4-10, 5.15 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 115 1/3 IP, 45 BB, 115 K
2025 minors: 3-6, 3.38 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 88 IP, 26 BB, 101 K

Culpepper may have been drafted 21st overall last year, but he wasn't among the most celebrated players in the draft class, seemingly lacking the tools (namely, the power) to become an impact player. The numbers in his first full professional season would suggest otherwise, however.

His success at the start of the year could be dismissed as a case of a 22-year-old beating up on inferior competition in A-ball, but since moving up to Double-A Wichita, his production has only gotten better, seeing him hit .343 (46 for 134) with seven homers and seven steals while striking out just 16 percent of the time. Count him among the biggest prospect risers this year.

2024 minors: .274 BA (507 AB), 12 HR, 12 SB, .729 OPS, 26 BB, 72 K
2025 minors: .309 BA (346 AB), 13 HR, 9 SB, .867 OPS, 35 BB, 53 K

The 22-year-old commonly known as The Password has spent most of this season at Triple-A and has been genuinely productive there. That's particularly true over his past 13 games, during which he's hit .375 (21 for 56) with six home runs. I do have some reservations, though. They begin with him walking just once compared to 20 strikeouts during that 13-game stretch, and his plate discipline issues go beyond that. His 78 percent zone-contact rate suggests he's beatable in the zone, which is like candy to a major league pitcher. There's also the fact that his exit velocity readings (88.5 mph average and 109.6 mph) don't exactly befit those of a power hitter. Prospecting isn't an exact science, and you can sometimes be led astray digging too deep into the data, but Garcia is giving off some Quadruple-A vibes.

2024 minors: 3-5, 3.86 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 81 2/3 IP, 55 BB, 86 K
2025 minors: 8-2, 1.89 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 66 2/3 IP, 25 BB, 81 K

The Red Sox may think they've won the Carlos Narvaez deal, snagging a starting-caliber catcher from their division rivals, but the Yankees side has yet to reveal itself. It's this guy, who was part of a star-studded starting rotation at High-A Hudson Valley and has only gotten better with his recent move up to Double-A Somerset.

Rodriguez-Cruz's latest outing there saw him struck out eight over seven scoreless innings, his second straight scoreless start and his third time in five that he's gone seven innings or more. Baseball America gave both his fastball and slider a 70 grade coming into the year, and it's fair to say he's only raised his stock since then. The way he's working deep into games would suggest he won't need much time in the upper minors.