7. Luis Campusano
Minors (A+): 487 plate appearances, .325/.396/.509, 15 homers, 31 doubles, 52 walks, 57 strikeouts
The San Diego Padres thought they had their catcher of the future in Francisco Mejia. Instead, that honor could belong to Luis Campusano.
Drafted with the 39th overall selection in the 2017 MLB Draft, Campusano signed for a $1.3 million bonus, and appeared in 37 games in the Arizona Rookie League. From that point, he has slowly begun climbing the ladder, spending a full season at each stop along the way.
There is no questioning Campusano’s raw power. While it manifests more in the form of doubles at this point, he should hit more home runs as he matures physically. While his swing can get long at times, and he can be too aggressive, Campusano also shows solid bat to ball skills and a respectable batting eye. He has an excellent pop time, averaging less than two seconds, a strong throwing arm, and excellent receiving skills.
At just 21 years old, the Padres will be patient with him as he continues to develop. Chances are, he will spend 2020 at AA, where he will continue to climb the ladder step at a time. Meanwhile, Mejia will need to prove that he can be the catcher that the Padres had hoped for; otherwise, it may be time to start looking over his shoulder.
The San Diego Padres have another excellent catching prospect in Luis Campusano. He may prove to be the future of the position.