Former Diamond Hogs ace Isaiah Campbell makes first MLB Opening-Day roster

Campbell was a stud out of the bullpen for the Mariners last year, but this is his first season to begin the year in the Bigs.

Isaiah Campbell is an Opening-Day Major Leaguer.

The former Arkansas right-hander was named to the Boston Red Sox opening day roster Thursday as teams across the league prepared for the first games of the season.

Campbell will be pitching in his second season in the Big Leagues after cracking the Seattle Mariners’ club last year. He had a 2.83 earned-run average in 28 games for the Ms out of the bullpen. Campbell was trided to Boston in November for infielder Luis Urias.

A second-round pick of the Mariners in 2019, Campbell didn’t get to pitch professionally until 2021 at age 23. He quickly shot through Seattle’s system and jumped from Double-A Arkansas in the middle of last year to the big club, where he stuck for the season.

Campbell pitched for the Diamond Hogs for four seasons, although his second season with the Razorbacks was limited to just one game because of injury. He came into his own his final season in Fayetteville in 2019, striking out 122 batters and walking just 22 in 118 1/3 innings.

Boston opens its 2024 season Thursday night incidentally against those same Mariners.