Welcome to our series grading every member of the San Diego Padres’ 40-man roster. The roster being evaluated is current as of Oct. 18, prior to the end of the World Series. Because of that, it will include players who will be free agents once the postseason concludes. Each player will be graded on their performance in the 2026 season, including the playoffs. That performance will be weighted based on how much time the player spent with the team (availability is the best ability).
The Breakout Backstop
Regardless of his
lack of total work this season, Luis Campusano truly broke out this season. Much of that is due to manager Craig Stammen placing his faith in the 28-year-old to back up Freddy Fermin. Eventually, Campusano seemed to actually win the starting catcher job once Fermin’s bat proved anemic. Still, Campusano looked phenomenal behind the dish. It’s a wonder why former manager Mike Shildt ever kept him out of the lineup in 2024-25.
Overall Grade: B+
In 71 games, Campusano hit .265/.363/.433 with a .796 OPS. He hit eight home runs, 20 extra-base hits and 30 RBI. All-in-all, he ended the season with a 122 OPS+ (22 points above league-average hitters). It was by far the most successful season of his career. The only other year when Campusano had more than 200 at-bats came in 2024. He posted -0.7 WAR that season compared to 1.7 WAR in 2026.
His defense also improved. Compared to that 2024 season, his Throwing Value went up from -3 to +3 while his Blocking Value increased from -3 to 0. Framing has continued to be a less valuable facet of Campusano’s game (-4 Framing Value), however with the advent of ABS challenges, framing as an art has dwindled in the game. That said, his ABS challenges haven’t been particularly great (-2 value).
Campusano missed significant time with a fractured toe after fouling a pitch off his foot. He left the team in the first week of May and didn’t return until early July. Still, he helped win the Padres some games in that time. He hit two walk-offs late in the season that won the Friars significant games. If Campusano can build on that in 2027, it’ll be a major improvement for San Diego’s historically subpar catching tandem.
