Where Luis Campusano Stands Heading Into a Crucial 2026 Season

Former top-50 prospect Luis Campusano hasn’t lived up to expectations so far in his MLB career. Once viewed as a young catcher who would develop alongside a championship-level core, he’s now 26 and has yet to secure a starting role at the big-league level.

His struggles have stemmed from a series of minor injuries and a short leash created by the pressure to perform on a contending team.

With 2026 shaping up as a pivotal season, Campusano will need to play well and earn his opportunity as a starting catcher.

The projected starter is Freddy Fermin, who re-signed via arbitration for just $1 million. With such a minimal financial commitment to Fermin, there’s little standing in Campusano’s way if he performs well enough to claim the job.

Campusano is expected to open the season as the backup, likely starting once per series. But if Fermin struggles and Campusano produces, it wouldn’t take long for the roles to shift.

For Campusano, any path to sustained MLB success begins with defense. His best tool as a prospect was a 60-grade arm, but that value hasn’t consistently translated behind the plate.

He has yet to post a season with a positive defensive runs value, according to FanGraphs, while Fermin has recorded a defensive value of at least 8.5 in each of the last three seasons. On a roster loaded with offense at nearly every position, the Padres can’t afford to sacrifice defense at catcher.

Expect Campusano to place a heavy emphasis on controlling the run game and limiting stolen bases in 2026.

Offensively, his lone productive season came in 2023, when he hit seven home runs and posted a 133 wRC+ across 174 plate appearances. The following year, he earned a career-high 299 plate appearances but struggled, finishing with an 83 wRC+.

The leash simply hasn’t been long enough for him to fully develop, and without immediate success, his outlook as an everyday catcher has grown bleaker with each passing season.

The good news is that some much-needed luck could be coming his way. Campusano has only one season with a BABIP above .300 and could see more balls fall in for hits in 2026. Contact has always been his strength at the plate, highlighted by a 12.1% strikeout rate and an 18.1% whiff rate in 2023.

Overall, expectations should remain low. Campusano failed to record a hit in any of his 27 plate appearances last season and will enter 2026 under more pressure than ever. His projections as a backup are poor, especially given his struggles in inconsistent playing time.

If Fermin were to get injured or Campusano were to get off to a hot start, that could finally open the door to the biggest opportunity of his career.