After his fellow ASU teammate Nick McClain was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the third round, Sun Devils star catcher Ryan Campos was the No. 109 pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2024 MLB Draft.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The highest active career batting average among D1 Catchers and reached base in 137-of-147 career games is heading to STL! ????
Congrats to Ryan Campos on being drafted 109th overall by the Cardinals!#MLBU /// #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/fVkGIBHfAI
— Sun Devil Baseball (@ASU_Baseball) July 15, 2024
The Mesa native played for Red Mountain High School and after being a four-year starter there who had a .425 average over 77 games, Campos decided to stay in the Valley by committing to Arizona State.
His elite hitting prowess translated from high school to college as he had a career .368 average, 209 hits and 21 home runs for the Sun Devils. This past season, Campos owned a .364 average and had 86 hits and 11 home runs through 58 games, earning the recognition of being a first-team selection on the ABCA/Rawlings Division I West Region Team.
An integral part of ASU head coach Willie Bloomquist’s team over the past three years, Campos is now going to be a part of St. Louis’ organization which has had major success when it comes down to identifying catching talent.
Cardinals legend Yadier Molina played all 19 of his seasons in the MLB in St. Louis and is regarded as one of the best catchers of all time. Currently, Wilson Contreras has been reliable and a steady option for the Cardinals.
According to Campos’ scouting report from MLB.com, his biggest strength is hitting and has a good eye for the ball at the plate, but has areas to improve on defensively.
“A left-handed hitting backstop, Campos is all about making contact and getting on base,” the report said. “He rarely strikes out and draws a ton of walks, showing excellent pitch recognition and plate discipline. He has shown more ability to drive the ball this year, with more than double his previous season high in extra-base hits, though he’s not expected to be a huge power guy at the next level. He can use all fields, even when he’s left the yard, with his hit-over-power approach.
“Campos is built like an old-school catcher in the Yogi Berra mold, at 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds. His defensive skills, from his arm to his blocking and receiving, are fringy, but all of it plays up because of his exceptional baseball IQ and makeup. He might best be suited in a backup role, and while he has played some outfield corner in college, scouts don’t see that as an option in the future.”
It will be interesting to see if Campos decides to make the jump to professional baseball or if he will return to college for a fourth year.
Stay tuned to Burn City Sports for the latest news on the 2024 MLB Draft.
White Sox select ASU outfielder Nick McLain in third round of MLB Draft
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers ASU Athletics, Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
