Back in spring training, on the first day players and writers and staff members all convened, there was a question lingering around: Is Roberto Campos here?
At the time, Campos was only 16 years old. The Tigers hoped for Campos to spend another year playing in the Dominican Republic. And perhaps by spring of 2021, they could unveil their prized yet mysterious international prospect to the American baseball world.
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Of course, there was another question floating around: Is Campos actually that good?
That question, too, was difficult to answer. There are high-ranking members of the Tigers’ front office who had not actually seen Campos play with their own eyes.
In July 2019, the Tigers gave Campos a $2.85 million bonus, more than half of their $5.398 million international signing budget. For years known to spread around their international dollars in hopes of hitting a lottery ticket, Campos became the club’s largest-ever investment in an international prospect. It perhaps signaled a shift in thought on the international market.
The signing was also curious because Campos was not ranked on common lists of top international prospects. Team officials indicated Campos did not receive the same level of exposure as others in showcases and Latin American tournaments.
In the Dominican, Campos was trained by former Tigers outfielder Alex Sanchez. He trained close to the Tigers’ Dominican academy, and in the still-wild world of international baseball, the Tigers got a look at Campos before most other clubs. Per a FanGraphs report, the Tigers built a relationship and locked him up early, before other teams got a comprehensive look.
In any case, the Tigers trusted their international scouts. Those scouts viewed Campos as a premium bat. At 16, he already had a big frame bound to fill out. Today, he stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 200-plus pounds. Originally a third baseman, the Tigers have Campos pegged for a corner outfield role.
But after more than a year in the Tigers organization, Campos remained an intriguing name still lingering in the shadows of the international system.
This offseason, in addition to hiring A.J. Hinch and a bright, exciting coaching staff, the Tigers have seemingly made other strategic decisions in hopes of staying relevant in the offseason news cycle. That meant Campos appearing in front of reporters via Zoom on Thursday, suddenly putting a face to a name and adding a new level of intrigue.
The Tigers made headlines when they gave a 16-year-old Roberto Campos a $2.85 million signing bonus in 2019. (Courtesy of the Detroit Tigers)
Down in San Pedro de Macoris, home of the Tigers’ sparkling academy, Campos is working away. The Tigers are holding an instructional league for their young players in the Dominican, and it is the closest thing to competitive baseball Campos has seen all year.
If all goes according to plan in the wake of COVID-19, Campos could arrive in the U.S. for next year’s spring training.
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“I’m crazy for being there, being in Lakeland and (to) start playing with them and develop my career and reach my goal … which is Major League Baseball,” Campos said through an interpreter.
Still only 17, Campos appeared polished, thoughtful and self-aware. At age 13, he defected from Cuba at a tournament in the Dominican Republic. Along with his father and brother, he hopped in a car at tournament’s end and never looked back, initially prompting a police investigation.
Campos, though, credited his father for making him a ballplayer. Although seemingly never much of a player himself, Campos’ father studied those who played in his hometown and later taught his son the game. The earliest entries in the Campos mythology include this: As a child, whenever Campos would head to the baseball field, he would only take a bat.
Soon after signing with the Tigers, Campos bought his parents a home not far from the team academy. He called his family the engine that has helped him get this far.
“This has been a dream,” Campos said. “To leave a country, and when you get to another one and you reach your dreams and you reach your goals, one of the first things to do is thinking about the family, everyone who supported you since you were a kid to make this dream come true.”
Born to be a hitter, we will soon get a much better understanding of just exactly how good Campos can be. The Tigers’ farm system, though beginning to fill out, has been perceived as heavy on pitching and low on bats beyond star prospects Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene.
When we speculate about the future of the Tigers’ rebuild, a player-development miracle that turns a middling prospect into a major-league star seems like the elixir the Tigers need.
But what if that player is no middling prospect? What if he’s already destined for stardom?
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These are the kinds of questions that will surround Campos when he eventually arrives in the United States.
MLB Pipeline lists Campos as the Tigers’ No. 20 prospect, with a 45 hit tool and 55 power. That report also cites an evaluator who compares Campos to Avisail Garcia. There are hopes he could be an even greater talent.
Growing up in Cuba, Campos came to admire Jose Abreu. He has watched videos of White Sox rookie Luis Robert, studying Robert’s technique.
“Seeing Abreu getting the MVP made me feel proud because I’m Cuban,” Campos said. “I was watching, saying, ‘Hey, one of these days I’d like to be in the same spot.’”
Campos will carry the weight of those expectations when he arrives in the United States. He seems to have a mature demeanor, but he will also enter a new world and a new culture.In trying to predict whether teenagers can become major-league players, the Tigers and other teams scout families, backgrounds and support systems nearly as much as they do sheer talent.
“Especially these kids that are signing at 16 years old, I can’t imagine my kids going off to another country at such a young age, not knowing the language, different culture and that sort of thing,” Tom Moore, the Tigers’ director of international operations, said recently. “So having that support system in place, it’s a real big part of the process, especially with the players that are higher-profile players. It’s a matter of how they’re going to manage their resources and manage their careers.
“They’re all gonna face challenges, whether they’re on the field or off the field.”
Campos has already left Cuba for the Dominican Republic. Soon he will leave the D.R. for the United States.
And as his mystery slowly crystallizes into reality, he will carry the weights of change, scrutiny and bubbling expectations.
“I know and we know that we have this burden over our shoulders,” Campos said. “This type of pressure is the same pressure that every professional athlete has. This is the only thing I know I can do. So I’m dealing with it.”
(Top photo: Courtesy of the Detroit Tigers)
Cody Stavenhagen is a staff writer covering the Detroit Tigers and Major League Baseball for The Athletic. Previously, he covered Michigan football at The Athletic and Oklahoma football and basketball for the Tulsa World, where he was named APSE Beat Writer of the Year for his circulation group in 2016. He is a native of Amarillo, Texas. Follow Cody on Twitter @CodyStavenhagen
