Detroit Tigers: Top 20 prospects for 2022 – Part Two

Detroit Tigers No. 8 Prospect – Roberto Campos – OF

Christian Santana’s $2.95 million bonus set a new Tigers record for international spending, besting Roberto Campos’ $2.85 million bonus from the previous year. But while Santana was a fairly well-known player, Campos was an utter enigma. He defected from Cuba and largely avoided the public eye before the Tigers signed him, so no one really knew what to expect. Then he homered in his first professional at-bat.

Campos is a big, athletic outfielder with plus power potential. He played mostly center field last year, but also spent time in right field, and he’ll likely stick in a corner as he continues to get bigger and stronger. Campos has a chance to produce well above-average power numbers in his prime, but right now he employs a pull-heavy, line-drive approach, and he’ll need to continue to refine his swing to effectively tap into his raw pop at higher levels.

It might be useful to compare Campos to our number 10 prospect, Izaac Pacheco, as they received similar bonuses, and played at the same level in 2021. Campos is about seven months younger, but he struck out significantly less than Pacheco, and hit for much more power. It’s too soon to know if that comparison says anything about either player’s future…but it explains why Campos is two spots ahead of Pacheco on our list.