LUIS CAMPUSANO

• Position(s): Catcher
• Bats / Throws: Right / Right
• 2024 opening day age: 26
• Height / Weight: 5-foot-11 / 232 pounds
• How acquired: Second round in 2017 (Cross Creek HS, Ga.)
• Contract status: Projected to make $1.7 million by MLBTradeRumors.com as a Super Two player (arbitration eligibility before third year of service time); will not be a free agent until 2029.
• fWAR in 2024: Minus-0.5
• Key 2024 stats: .227 avg., .281 OBP, .361 SLG, 8 HRs, 40 RBIs, 37 runs, 20 walks, 41 strikeouts, 0 steals (91 games, 299 plate appearances)

 

STAT TO NOTE

• Minus-13 — Campusano’s fielding run value in 2024, tied for the worst among the 40 catches who caught at least 500 innings. This funnels a catcher’s throwing, blocking and framing into one metric to capture a player’s defensive performance, and Campusano graded out poorly in all three: Framing (minus-8), throwing (minus-3) and blocking (minus-3). Campusano’s fielding run value over 325 innings in 2023 was minus-3.

 

TRENDING

• Down — The first catcher selected from the 2017 draft, Campusano was always billed as two-way prospect. He shared California League MVP honors as a 19-year-old and boasted a strong throwing arm even if his interpersonal communication skills as the leader of a pitching staff had been slow to emerge. The pandemic erased what should have been his Double-A season and Campusano received his first call-up in the summer of 2020 out of COVID despite no time above A-ball. He shuttled to and from Triple-A El Paso the next three seasons, hitting .331/.375/.500 over 42 games after returning from injury in 2023 to lead the organization to give him his first opportunity to lead the catching room. Campusano, however, saw his OPS drop from .726 the first month of the season to .535 in May. While he caught Dylan Cease’s no-hitter after the All-Star break, struggles behind the plate (see stat to note) compounded matters. A thumb injury also sent him to the injured list for nearly a month at the same time as Kyle Higashioka’s power binge was overtaking Campusano on the depth chart. The younger catcher returned as the No. 2 option on the depth chart and was ultimately optioned to Triple-A El Paso after Elías Díaz settled in as Higashioka’s backup. Campusano had a .919 OPS in eight games back in the Pacific Coast League, was not recalled for the playoffs and played 13 games in the Dominican winter league this offseason (.666 OPS) to begin to make up for lost time.

 

2025 OUTLOOK

• With Higashioka and Díaz departing as free agents, the only catchers on the 40-man roster are Campusano and minor league veteran Brett Sullivan. The Padres are surely shopping for additional options, but the plan appears to be to give Campusano another shot at significant playing time. At 26, Campusano is still plenty young enough to realize his potential.

 

Roster rankings

• 23. RHP Alek Jacob
• 24. OF Tirso Ornelas
• 25. RHP Ryan Bergert
• 26. RHP Henry Baez
• 27. LHP Omar Cruz
• 28. OF Brandon Lockridge
• 29. LHP Tom Cosgrove
• 30. RHP Stephen Kolek
• 31. RHP Juan Nuñez
• 32. C Brett Sullivan
• 33. UT Tyler Wade
• 34. LHP Wandy Peralta