Embracing the Knee-Down Setup and Gearing Up for His First Full Season
Prospect Ryan Campos acclimating well after initial professional spring with Arizona Cardinals
Meet Ryan Campos, the up-and-coming catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, who's been making waves since the Cardinals drafted him in the fourth round of the 2024 MLB Draft from Arizona State. The kid's got talents stacked—he was twice a semifinalist for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award!
Last summer, the Cardinals signed him for exactly slot, filling his pockets with a cool $669,300. He spent his rookie year with the Florida State League's Low-A Palm Beach squad, smacking a noteworthy .319 batting average, .396 on-base percentage, and .407 slugging percentage in 26 games[1].
Ryan shared his insights with Redbird Rants. "My first professional offseason was stellar," he said. "Spent tons of time sharpening my skills, cleaning up some batter's box mechanics, and getting more comfortable with the one-knee-down setup behind the plate."
Now, it's no secret that every single starting catcher in the majors rolls with the one-knee-down setup. It helps 'em get lower and cunningly improves their framing skills[4]. But, chances are, Ryan ain't had much experience with this technique. He admitted, "[The knee-down setup] was all fresh air for me."
Navigating pro ball ain't a walk in the park, especially for catchers. You've got the mental and physical tension of wrestling with a fresh pitching staff, a switch in hitting techniques, and all the essentials that tag along with playing ball six days a week[2]. Despite the challenges, Ryan's having a ball of a time.
As 2025 unfolds, this season signifies the first full professional year for Campos. He's already breakin' it in with High-A Peoria. "I'm just tryin' to focus on bein' present," he said of his time there. "Each day's about gettin' better, and I'm grateeful to be in a top-notch organization like the St. Louis Cardinals, where I can help the squad add a couple more world championships." Just a humble dude, ain't he?
Campos's resume speaks for itself. As of April 2025, he's racked up an .810 OPS, smashed a homer, tossed in four RBIs, and notched 11 walks in 11 games with Peoria[3]. Shoot, with stats like that, it's not surprising that the Cardinals rank him as their 18th prospect. The kid's got the chops to make it all the way to the big leagues one day[3][5].
[1] Baseball-Reference.com[2] MiLB.com[3] MLB.com[4] CBS Sports[5] FanGraphs
- In the upcoming 2025 season, Ryan Campos, the Cardinals' promising catcher, is set to make a noticeable impact in the High-A Peoria team, striving to improve his game and contribute to the team's potential world championships.
- Although he has only recently adopted the one-knee-down setup, a common practice among MLB catchers, Ryan Campos has been making strides in mastering this technique during his first full professional year.
- Acknowledged by many as a prospect to watch, Ryan Campos's performance in the 2025 season with Peoria has been laudable, as evidenced by his impressive OPS, home runs, RBIs, and walks, which has earned him a ranking as the Cardinals' 18th prospect.
- Having been selected in the fourth round of the 2024 MLB Draft and boasting a successful college career marked by a few Buster Posey Award nominations, Ryan Campos's talent for baseball has been apparent since his days at Arizona State, and he continues to catch the attention of baseball enthusiasts as he advances in his professional career.
