Earlier in the week, we released our May update for our Top 25 prospects, and the one prospect who took the biggest leap up our list was outfielder Roberto Campos. Chris mentioned in his write-up about how hard Campos was hitting the ball. It is really a continuation of what he was able to do last season at Lakeland.
Campos earlier this year, when speaking to Evan Petzold of the Freep, discussed the new swing changes he was looking to implement. He spoke about that to us on media day at West Michigan as he was adjusting to his new surroundings and climate.
Roberto Campos habla sobre jugar en Michigan por primera vez y adaptarse al clima
Roberto Campos on playing in Michigan for the first time and adjusting to the weather. pic.twitter.com/VaBfBGTM1L
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) April 5, 2023
The goal was to shorten his bat path and simplify his swing. The desired result is more power. How has it worked so far? Let’s dive in.
| Season | Name | Team | Level | Age | PA | BABIP | GB/FB | LD% | GB% | FB% | IFFB% | HR/FB | Pull% | Cent% | Oppo% | SwStr% |
| 2022 | Roberto Campos | DET | A | 19 | 448 | .326 | 2.19 | 24.9% | 51.5% | 23.6% | 22.9% | 7.1% | 40.3% | 28.6% | 31.2% | 15.3% |
| 2023 | Roberto Campos | DET | A+ | 20 | 94 | .333 | 1.6 | 16.1% | 51.6% | 32.3% | 20.0% | 10.1% | 48.4% | 19.4% | 32.3% | 10.6% |
(data source: FanGraphs)
The notable aspect of Campos’s performance is his consistent groundball rate, identical to his time in Lakeland, despite the smaller sample size. Two key statistics to consider are HR/FB and FB%. According to FanGraphs, HR/FB measures the percentage of home runs a player hits out of their total fly balls. Last season, Campos’s 7.1% placed him near the bottom among qualifying Florida State League batters. This season, his improved 10.1% ranks him 25th in the Midwest League.
Furthermore, Campos’s FB% has risen to over 30%, indicative of swing adjustments that enable faster barrel movement through the zone and increased lift in his swing. Evidently, these changes have been effective, as his slugging percentage has also seen a boost from .385 to .452.
Down in High-A Roberto Campos led off the game for West Michigan with a 400-foot triple that bounced out of the center fielder’s glove. He later scored on a Steele Walker sac fly. pic.twitter.com/lEnAQKVavp
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 5, 2023
Roberto Campos smokes a 102-mph line drive double to center field. pic.twitter.com/CHpH9TsBQF
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) April 30, 2023
If you notice here, his swing follow through is much cleaner than in 2022.
Roberto Campos singles down in Lakeland. Hardest hit ball of the game thus far (101.8) — though that Santana bomb didn’t register. pic.twitter.com/sTmjA9bvY6
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) April 12, 2022
The numbers from his first month into the season sounded familiar to me, so I went back and checked on a prospect who got off to a good start at West Michigan last season. That prospect? Colt Keith.
(data courtesy of FanGraphs)
Though Keith posted a higher batting average, Campos holds a slight edge in .ISO numbers, at .190 compared to Keith’s .167. As warmer weather approaches, Campos’s performance is expected to improve. Notably, the 19-year-old has adapted quickly to the Midwest, despite having never played in the region. Should Campos maintain this trajectory, he may soon rank among the top 100 prospects in baseball.
Jerry McKennan