Exclusive Chat with Prospect Ryan Campos: Stepping Up to the Plate with the St. Louis Cardinals
Prospect Ryan Campos finding his stride following debut professional spring training with the Arizona Cardinals
Bidding farewell to a two-decade reign of consistence, the St. Louis Cardinals say goodbye to Yadier Molina and welcome a new era at the catcher spot. With four catchers ranked in the team's top 30 prospects, according to MLB.com, Ryan Campos, drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Arizona State, is making his mark.
Dubbed as a two-time Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award semifinalist, the Cardinals inked Campos for $669,300 and assigned him to Low-A Palm Beach in the Florida State League last summer. In just 26 games, Campos delivered a solid .319/.396/.407 slash line.
Diving into his professional offseason and first Spring Training, Campos shares his insights, "My first professional offseason was good. I was taking time to focus on all aspects of my game and to clean up some mechanics in the batter's box. I was working to get comfortable with the one knee down behind the plate. My first Spring Training was also awesome. It was fun to work around guys that I can learn from and also try out the things I was working on in the offseason against some good players."
Facing the daunting task of transitioning to the pro ball lifestyle, particularly as a catcher, Campos is embracing the challenge. Stepping into an almost previously unused knee-down setup behind the plate, a technique widely employed by major league teams to enhance framing, has been a learning curve. However, the 22-year-old rookie is thriving, adapting to the new pitching staff, honing his hitting skills, and perfecting his techniques behind the dish.
"I think the normal day-to-day stuff that comes with playing six times a week has been the most noticeable thing for me," Campos confides. "Definitely more of an emphasis on the recovery side of the game along with the mental side. But I have been having a blast playing all the time."
With the 2025 season underway, Campos has found himself with High-A Peoria's Peoria Chiefs, and if he continues on his current trajectory, he could well be knocking at the door of Double-A Springfield by season's end. Despite the temptation to dream about the next level, Campos maintains a grounded perspective."
"I am just trying to be where my feet are," Campos explains. "I am working to be better every day. I am so blessed to be in such a great organization like the St. Louis Cardinals and to have the opportunity to help the us add a few more world championships. That is certainly my main goal."
As the season progresses, Campos' performance continues to shine, with an impressive .810 OPS, a home run, four RBIs, and 11 walks in 11 games so far. With his head down and eyes fixed on his next play, the future looks bright for the promising prospect.
- The St. Louis Cardinals, with four catchers ranked in their top 30 prospects, are witnessing noticeable progress in Ryan Campos, drafted in the 2024 MLB Draft.
- Assigned to High-A Peoria's Peoria Chiefs in the 2025 season, Ryan Campos' current trajectory could potentially see him knocking at the door of Double-A Springfield by the end of the season.
- Ryan Campos, the 2024 draftee from Arizona State, embraces the challenge of transitioning to the professional baseball lifestyle, particularly as a catcher, and is thriving in his new setup behind the plate.
- If Campos continues to perform impressively, as evident by his .810 OPS, a home run, four RBIs, and 11 walks in the 2025 season, he may very well catch the attention of Major League Baseball (MLB) scouts and analysts.
