Former Padres Top Prospect Finally Breaking Out, And Has Full Support From Manager

San Diego Padres backup catcher Luis Campusano has been waiting for his big league moment for several years.

Campusano was drafted by the Padres in second round of the 2017 MLB Draft. Since then, he has been bouncing back and forth between the big leagues and minor leagues. Primarily, he has remained with Triple-A El Paso.

This spring, everyone in the organization was rooting for Campusano to finally reach his potential. The 27-year-old had to prove he could fill the backup role well. If not, the Padres would have likely had to trade for a backstop to stand behind Freddy Fermin on the depth chart.

Campusano had a slow start to the 2026 season, but once he broke through and recorded his first major league hit in almost two years, things started to finally go in his direction.

The backup catcher is hitting .281 with one home run, six runs batted in and an .843 OPS across 32 at-bats this season. His success directly ties to the Padres' success as Fermin will need several days off throughout the long 162-game campaign, which in turn means Campusano needs to make an impact on the days he's in the lineup.

The biggest question was whether the Padres trusted Campusano enough to maintain a big league roster spot throughout the season. He's never done so before in his career and he spent last season primarily in the minors.

In 21 big league at-bats, Campusano failed to record a hit in 2025. But the Padres spent all of camp evaluating the catcher and he made enough of an impression on the coaching staff to make the Opening Day roster.

“I trust Campusano," manager Craig Stammen recently said. "A lot of people in the organization trust him. Maybe me validating that trust in him helps a little bit. But I felt really comfortable when I was throwing to him. I always loved throwing to Campusano. Maybe when the manager feels that strongly about it, it’s a little easier for the player. He’s done exactly what we expected of him and maybe a little bit more."

Campusano has flourished in Triple-A as he is coming off a season where he hit .336 with 25 home runs and 95 RBIs. He hasn't fully found that success in the big leagues, but Stammen believes Campusano simply needs to think less and just play the game.

“Most players just need to be able to use their talent to the best of their abilities and keep their brain out of it of the equation. And then there are other players who like to think through the game. I was definitely a thinker. I thought it made me a better player. Everybody is different," Stammen said of how different players find success in the big leagues.

"Campy is probably one of those who just needs to go out and just play baseball.”

This year, Campusano is doing just that. If he keeps it up, he may never spend another day in Triple-A again.

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