Luis Campusano

Luis Campusano
Campusano with the San Diego Padres in 2022
San Diego Padres – No. 12
Catcher
Born: (1998-09-29) September 29, 1998 (age 26)
Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
September 4, 2020, for the San Diego Padres
MLB statistics
(through August 22, 2024)
Batting average.253
Home runs17
Runs batted in76
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams

Luis Genaro Campusano (born September 29, 1998) is a Dominican-American professional baseball catcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2020.

Amateur career

Campusano graduated from Cross Creek High School in Augusta, Georgia. He was primarily a first baseman, and did not begin catching until his junior year.[1] As a junior, he batted .493 with six home runs and 33 RBIs.[2] As a senior, he batted .622 with six home runs.[3] He had committed to play college baseball for the Missouri Tigers, but he decommitted and then committed to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks during his senior year.[4] He was selected by the San Diego Padres in the second round (39th overall) of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft and he signed for $1.3 million, forgoing his commitment to South Carolina.[5][6]

Professional career

After signing, Campusano made his professional debut with the Arizona League Padres. He spent the whole season there, batting .269 with four home runs and 25 RBIs in 37 games.[7] He spent 2018 with the Fort Wayne TinCaps where he slashed .288/.345/.365 with three home runs and forty RBIs in seventy games and was named a Midwest League All-Star.[8][9] Campusano spent 2019 with the Lake Elsinore Storm, earning California League All-Star honors.[10][11] Over 110 games, he batted .325/.396/.509 with 15 home runs and 81 RBIs.[12] He was named California League-co MVP (alongside Luis Castro).[13] Following the season, Campusano played for the Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League.[14]

Campusano with the El Paso Chihuahuas in 2022

Campusano was promoted to the major leagues on September 4, 2020, and made his major league debut that night against the Oakland Athletics, going one-for-three with a solo home run off reliever T. J. McFarland.[15] He was placed on the injured list two days later with a wrist sprain, thus ending his season.[16] To begin the 2021 season, Campusano was assigned to the major league roster before being optioned to the El Paso Chihuahuas of the Triple-A West in late April.[17] In June, he was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game at Coors Field.[18] Over 81 games with El Paso, he slashed .295/.365/.541 with 15 home runs and 45 RBIs.[19] He appeared in 11 games for the Padres, recording three hits over 34 at-bats.[20]

In 2023, Campusano played in only 7 games for San Diego before being placed on the injured list. On May 12, 2023, it was announced that he would miss at least two months after undergoing ligament surgery on his left thumb.[21] He was activated from the injured list on July 18.[22]

Personal life

Campusano's father, Genaro, signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an international free agent in 1989 and spent four years playing in their minor league system.[23]

On October 17, 2020, Campusano was arrested in Grovetown, Georgia and charged with a felony after he was pulled over by police and found to be in possession of 79 grams of marijuana. He was released on a $5,000 bond.[24] The charges against him were dropped in April 2021.[25]

References

  1. ^ "Fort Wayne TinCaps catcher Luis Campusano relatively new to position, but bursting with potential". News-Sentinel. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  2. ^ "MaxPreps 2017 Preseason Baseball All-American Team". MaxPreps. February 2, 2017. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  3. ^ "Four Gamecocks taken in first two days of MLB Draft". The Daily Gamecock. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  4. ^ "All-American catcher commits to Gamecocks". 247Sports.com. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  5. ^ "Padres draft Luis Campusano-Bracero, Blake Hunt". The San Diego Union-Tribune. June 13, 2017. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  6. ^ "Padres reportedly sign pair of top Draft picks". MLB.com. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  7. ^ "Luis Campusano Stats, Highlights, Bio". MiLB.com. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  8. ^ "'He's Really Special:' Padres Prospect Luis Campusano Grows into Offensive Force".
  9. ^ Staff Reports (June 7, 2018). "Cross Creek product Campusano named Midwest League All-Star". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  10. ^ RotoWire Staff (April 1, 2019). "Padres' Luis Campusano: Beginning season in California League". CBSSports.com. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  11. ^ Jason Freund (June 2019). "Lake Elsinore Storm sending seven players to California League All-Star Game". East Village Times. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  12. ^ Joe Bloss (September 30, 2019). "Head of the Class: Class A Advanced". MiLB.com. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  13. ^ "Minors: Luis Campusano named Cal League co-MVP, then walks off win for Storm". San Diego Union-Tribune. August 22, 2019.
  14. ^ RotoWire Staff (September 30, 2019). "Padres' Luis Campusano: Removed from Arizona Fall League". CBSSports.com. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  15. ^ "Padres notes: Tatis back atop order, as Grisham struggles; Campusano promoted - The San Diego Union-Tribune". September 5, 2020.
  16. ^ "Luis Campusano on injured list with wrist sprain". MLB.com.
  17. ^ "Austin Nola activated; Luis Campusano optioned". MLB.com.
  18. ^ "2021 Futures Game rosters". MLB.com.
  19. ^ "Padres' Luis Campusano: Enjoying strong season in Triple-A".
  20. ^ "Former Augusta-area baseball star named to MLB Futures Game roster".
  21. ^ "Padres' Luis Campusano: Out two months after thumb surgery". cbssports.com. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  22. ^ "Padres' Luis Campusano: Back from 60-day IL". cbssports.com. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  23. ^ "Padres draft catchers Luis Campusano-Bracero, Blake Hunt".
  24. ^ "Padres' Luis Campusano arrested in Georgia, accused of felony marijuana possession - The San Diego Union-Tribune". October 20, 2020.
  25. ^ "Prosecutors drop Padres catcher Luis Campusano's felony marijuana possession charges". San Diego Union-Tribune. April 2, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2022.