Back in 2018, catcher Luis Campusano was the 24th ranked prospect in the San Diego Padres ' farm system. He was hitting .288 in Single-A as a 19-year-old, but was slightly overshadowed by the No. 1 prospect in the minors for the next two seasons, Fernando Tatis Jr.
The following season, Campusano continued his elite production with a .325 batting average in High-A, which was enough to earn the opportunity to make his MLB debut.
He burst onto the scene with a solo home run in his fourth career plate appearance (in a game that future manager Craig Stammen closed out in the ninth) for what would prove to be an extremely short-lived taste of the show.
Campusano was placed on the injured list with a wrist sprain retroactive to the next day and wouldn't return until the following season.
His 2021 campaign lasted just 11 games at the major league level where he went 3-for-34. After he was optioned to Triple-A, he started to see far more success at the plate.
In 2023, he had a rough first seven games before a thumb sprain sent him to the injured list for three months, but upon his return, was batting .331 with six home runs and 28 RBIs in that 42 game span.
In 2024 it was back to inconsistent offense and more trips to-and-from Triple-A. The 2025 season saw just 10 major league appearances with zero hits in 21 at-bats. His Triple-A numbers that season were .336/.441/.595 with a 1.036 OPS.
Among other factors, Campusano's streakiness caused the backstop position to have the most question marks surrounding it heading into the 2026 season.
After hitting .288 to start the year and start to remove some of those question marks, a left toe fracture sidelined him for two months . Ever since his Independence Day return, the production has certainly held up, hitting .281/.395/.414 with an .809 OPS.
His superstar teammates have seemed to notice that the sudden success at the major league level may be due to more opportunities now than in years past.
"I'm so happy for him," Tatis said to the San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee . "Just the confidence that they have [given] him to just go out there and perform. You know, it was something that was missing a little bit back in the years. But this year, they - we have built together as a team, especially him, giving him a chance to, don't be afraid to make mistakes, just swing the bat. And I feel like that has [given] him confidence to show the quality of a baseball player that he really is."
Though not a prospect with Campusano, Manny Machado - who signed with San Diego one season before Campusano's debut - has also been a part of Campusno's major league journey in real time.
"At the end of the day, he's gotten the opportunity to go out there and be him," Machado said. "In the past, it's been a little bit different. ... I think we've always seen it. We always knew that he had it in him. So, to finally kind of see it all stick together, it's been nice."
Stammen appears to have seen the potential in Campusano long before the public has, not just as a longtime teammate. Campusano praised his current manager when asked what his support means to him.
"It means a lot," Campusano said. "Means everything. We played together, so he knows me like the back of his hand. And there wasn't any time to try to get to know me. It was just like, 'I know who you are. I know what you're capable of doing, and let's see what you got.'"
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/padres/onsi as Padres' 27-Year-Old Ex-Top Prospect Has Finally Broken Out After Years of Struggles .
