Leonel Campos

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked San Diego Padres #25 prospect in 2015
  Campos signed at age 23 then had Tommy John surgery after making his first pro appearance in 2011. He returned in fine form in 2013, reaching Double-A San Antonio and striking out 106 batters in 67 relief innings. Intrigued by his athletic delivery, plus fastball and feel for two secondary pitches, the Padres tried Campos as a starter 14 times at San Antonio in 2014, though he produced a 6.61 ERA. He saws off righthanders with a riding mid-90s fastball that can touch 98 mph out of the pen, while throwing a mid- 80s slider that regularly flashes plus and operates as a chase pitch. That he throws a mid-80s changeup that flashes average is a testament to his athleticism and delivery. Campos worked as a reliever at Triple-A El Paso and during a September callup, so that's the role he will reprise in 2015.
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  Ranked San Diego Padres #21 prospect in 2014
  Campos injured his elbow and required Tommy John surgery after his first pro appearance for short-season Eugene in 2011. Because he signed out of Venezuela at age 23 after pursuing soccer as a youth, his elbow surgery effectively put off his debut season until 2013, which he finished as a 26 year old at Double-A San Antonio. Few in the system can out-stuff Campos, however. He sits 93-95 mph with a double-plus fastball that tops out at 98 and saws off righthanders with sinking, boring action. Same-sided batters went just 16-for-137 (.117) with strikeouts nearly 44 percent of the time in 2013. Campos throws a low-80s curveball that features late, tight breaking action, and he sometimes toys with a fringy changeup. Despite his inexperience, he throws from an athletic, repeatable delivery, and he ought to throw more strikes once he stops overthrowing as much as he does now. That will be a crucial task for Campos after he walked 5.1 batters per nine innings in 2013. The Padres expect him to contribute to the 2014 bullpen, perhaps in the second half.