The first catcher to come off the board in the 2017 Draft, Campusano signed with the Padres for $1.3 million after they selected him in the second round with the No. 39 overall pick. While the Georgia native's raw talent was on display in the Midwest League during his first full season, he also logged just 38 games behind the plate before his season was cut short by a concussion in early August. But the Padres still deemed Campusano worthy of an assignment to Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore to open 2019, and the young backstop responded to the challenge by garnering co-MVP honors in the California League while claiming the circuit's batting title with a .325 average in his age-20 season. He also finished second in OPS (.906) and RBI (81) and establishing career highs in both homers (15) and doubles (31), all while walking (52) nearly as often as he struck out (57).
Campusano consistently impacts the ball from the right side of the plate using a combination of bat speed, physical strength and a line-drive-producing swing. His ability to keep the barrel in the hitting zone enables him to hit to all fields, and scouts like his chances of becoming at least an above-average hitter, especially after he demonstrated a tighter, more advanced approach in 2019. Campusano is still learning how to leverage his swing and drive the ball in the air, but the early returns point to future above-average power. He also does a good job controlling the strike zone, rarely chases and allows few mistakes to go unpunished.
Campusano's defense lags behind his bat, but he has the requisite athleticism and tools to stick behind the plate. He earns high marks for both his blocking and agility, and club officials are quick to point out the gains he's made as a receiver since signing. Campusano's plus, accurate arm does give baserunners pause, though his overall catch-and-throw skills require further refinement and he threw out only 22.7 percent of basestealers in 2019. Overall, Campusano will need time to develop his game, but the final product could be an everyday catcher who contributes on both sides of the ball.
Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55
With potential on both offense and defense, Campusano became the first catcher picked in 2017, going to the Padres in the second round with the No. 39 overall pick. He signed for $1.3 million and then made his professional debut in the Rookie-level Arizona League. In '18, he caught 70 games in the Midwest League with strong numbers on offense and an impressive showing behind the plate. But Campusano's season came to an early end in August because of a concussion.
Campusano has a pair of plus tools in his raw power and arm strength, but his approach is too aggressive and his right-handed swing too long at times. Still, Campusano's bat speed and penchant for making loud contact both bode well if he can make the necessary adjustments. His power is almost exclusively to the pull side, but he'd begun to make adjustments and use the entire field before his 2018 season ended early due to injury.
Campusano should remain behind the plate, as he shows solid blocking technique and receiving skills that have gotten better. His best weapon is an accurate and strong arm, and he consistently delivers sub-2.0 second pop times. Campusano will need time to develop his game, but the final product could be an everyday catcher who contributes on both sides of the ball.
Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45
Genaro Campusano signed with the Pirates as a catcher out of the Dominican Republic in 1989, and 28 years later his son ranked as one of the best high school backstops in the Draft. With his offensive and defensive potential, Luis became the first catcher picked in 2017, going to the Padres in the second round with the No. 39 overall pick. He signed for $1.3 million, bypassing a South Carolina commitment, and then made his professional debut in the Rookie-level Arizona League.
Campusano has a pair of plus tools in his raw power and arm strength. His approach is too aggressive and his right-handed swing too long at times, but Campusano's bat speed and a penchant for making loud contact are both impressive. His power plays mostly to his pull side at the present, but there could be average game power in Campusano's bat once he becomes comfortable using the entire field.
Campusano should be able to remain behind the plate, as he shows solid blocking technique with receiving skills that have improved during his pro debut. His accurate, plus arm strength is his best weapon behind the plate, where he consistently delivers sub-2.0 second pop times. Campusano will need time to develop his game, but the final product could be an everyday catcher who contributes on both sides of the ball.
Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50
Genaro Campusano signed with the Pirates as a catcher out of the Dominican Republic in 1989, and 28 years later his son ranked as one of the best high school backstops in the Draft. With his offensive and defensive potential, Luis became the first catcher picked in 2017, going to the Padres in the second round with the No. 39 overall pick.
Campusano has a pair of plus tools in his raw power and arm strength. His right-handed swing can get long at times, but he has bat speed and a penchant for making loud contact. He has the upside to produce 15-20 homers per season.
Campusano should be able to remain behind the plate. He blocks well and is polishing up his receiving. He consistently delivers sub-2.0 second pop times and his throwing accuracy stands out as well.
