Boston Red Sox utility man Nate Eaton is proving that he’s too talented for the minors.
The 28-year-old is now slashing .321/ .407/ .557/ .963 OPS in 123 plate appearances with Triple-A Worcester Red Sox.
Is a promotion imminent? That’ll depend on Boston’s roster needs over the next six weeks, but Eaton is making himself an obvious candidate for a call-up.
PitcherList’s Griffey Geiss provided additional Eaton stats on Sunday night that revealed his Triple-A dominance.
“9% BB / 20% K,” Geiss reported. “Underlying stuff is good — 40% HH, 7% barrel, 104 EV90, 33% pull air. Rocking a 7-game hit streak. Provides speed (7.9) & defensive versatility in the short term.”
Story continues below advertisement
Eaton can play virtually anywhere defensively, and he has enough MLB games under his belt at this point (86) that a late-season promotion wouldn’t rattle his temperament.
The Red Sox are officially down a big league infielder now that Marcelo Mayer is done for the season. While fans are calling for a Kristian Campbell promotion, Alex Cora’s recent comments indicate that Campbell will probably be spending the rest of 2025 honing his craft in Worcester.
Eaton doesn’t necessarily have a guaranteed future in Boston, but he might be the most appropriate fill-in for the present.
Story continues below advertisement
Eaton’s career path has had its ups and downs. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 2018 and has moved between the majors and minors.
All of that is in the past now, and Eaton’s recent hot streak is what matters. If he keeps mashing like this, Eaton could find himself back in the majors in September, when the Red Sox will likely be playing in high-stakes baseball games.