Prospect: Vicente Campos Rank: 16
2015/16: UR Position(s): Right Handed Pitcher
Level: AAA/MLB Age: Entering Age 24 season in 2017.
Height: 6’3” Weight: 230 lb.
Present – Future
Fastball 65 65
Curve 50 60
Change 55 55
Mechanics 50 50
Command 60 60
Control 60 60
Overall 55 60
Floor: Middle reliever with upside in the majors.
Ceiling: A #2-3 starter in major leagues.
Likely Outcome: A late inning reliever or a dynamic #5 starter.
Summary: Campos is an easy prospect to get excited about. Let’s just get the single most important detail out of the way first. EVERY single potential outcome for Campos is dependent upon his health. If Vicente Campos is healthy, you have yourself Garrett Richards-lite. Someone that can come in and dominate for 7 innings every fifth day. If Campos can only stay healthy in short spurts, and his physical prowess deteriorates with increased use, then he can be one of the best relievers in baseball. If the repeated elbow injuries take their toll and his tuff is diminished, his career could be over.
Now obviously the reasons for excitement, and for the Garrett Richards-lite and elite receiver possibility is based off his stuff. Campos’ fastball is an ever changing pitch that he can dial up and back at will. Sometimes, he’ll come in and blow upper-90’s heat by you. At other times, he’ll decide to take a little more off, and stay at 90-91. For the most part, he seems to use two different fastballs that he can spot basically wherever he wants. The first is a firm 4-seam fastball that hovers around 95-96, and the second seems to be a cut fastball that he throws 93-94. Lately, he’s been using the second option more liberally, and has found success with it. Campos throws a very firm curve ball that he can spot at the knees or bury in the dirt. This is a true swing-and-miss pitch and is already at least an average major league pitch with the possibility of being more. Personally, one of my favorite offerings (other than the high heat), is Campos’ change up, which tails down and in on a RHB. It’s lethal against LHB with two strikes as it acts as almost another breaking ball. He can also push it down at the feet of a RHB as another look in what can be an uncomfortable at bat.
I think what makes Campos so special are all the ways he can get you out. If he isn’t feeling his fastball on a particular night, he’ll dial back to 90-91 and live off movement. IF the curve is working especially well, he’ll snap it off in any count, because it doesn’t matter if a batter is keying on it, it’s still a tough pitch to hit. IF he’s feeling aggressive, he’ll attack under a batter’s hands in the mid-90’s. If he’s facing a lefty heavy lineup, he’ll typically live firm on the inside to set up his change up away. With righties, he’ll rely a little more on what looks like a cutter and get K’s via the curve.
But again, this all depends on his health, and that’s a big question mark. After signing with he Mariners at age 16, Campos blossomed into a very promising prospect, before being dealt to the Yankees in the Pineda-Montego deal. Just a few starts into his Yankee career, he suffers an elbow fracture, and loses basically all of 2012. Vicente returns in 2013 after a surprisingly quick rehab and is back in form for the Yankees down in Advanced A Ball. But clearly, the rushed rehab from 2012 had taken it’s toll and Campos needed Tommy John surgery, which ended his 2014 season before it even began. He returned for half of 2015, and showed diminished stuff and less command than before, which can be expected. Campos again returned to form in 2016 and dominated in AA before being dealt to the D-Backs for Tyler Clippard. After successful stints in AA/AAA for Arizona, he got the call to the major leagues and operated as a mop up man in the bullpen. However, after just one appearance, where he did well without his best stuff, Campos was shut down again and again diagnosed with a fractured ulnar. Upon hearing this, the D-Backs were under a bit of a roster crunch and tried to slip the injured Campos through waivers, which obviously didn’t work because Billy Eppler was very familiar with his kid from his days as the Yankees AGM.
Now the good news with this is apparently there hasn’t been any damage sustained tot he ligament, just the bone. So the rehab for Campos is supposed to be shorter. However, as we saw from his first Ulnar fracture rehab, if he’s pushed, injury can follow. Rehab for this type of break is expected to be around eight months, so more than likely, we won’t see Campos in Spring Training. It’s likely he’ll spend April on site in Arizona getting his own mini-Spring Training and return to active duty in May.
What to expect next season: Normally, this would be where I tell you what’s likely to happen next year, but if we’re being honest, I don’t have a clue with Campos. Sure, he isn’t expected to be healthy until May, but what if he’s ready to start his rehab in March instead of April and gets time in Spring Training? What if he’s so dang impressive (as he definitely can be) that the Angels choose him over Chavez, Meyer, Smith and Pounders for the 5th starter position? I couldn’t tell you if the Angels are going to move him to relief or have him start again.
There are just too many directions this can go to confidently provide you with what to expect.
The only thing I will say is that Campos is one of my personal favorites among the Top 30, and I expect to see him in Anaheim at some point, in some role this year. If he’s healthy, he’s just too good not to be a major leaguer.
Estimated Time of Arrival: July, 2017.
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