P2Daily: Sergio Campana Has The Tools, But Those Strikeouts…

Sergio Campana may have been one of the more intriguing players on the Bradenton roster in 2022, and with plenty of former high end draft picks also there, that’s saying something.

The outfielder at the moment might be the definition of ‘toolsy player trying to figure things out so he can get out of A-ball’.

Campana owns some of the best speed, not only in the Pirates’ system, but in all of the minors. That speed helped him steal 13 bases in 51 games in 2021 with Bradenton despite batting just .169 in 160 at-bats.

It also allowed him to play some great defense in center field, including this diving catch, one of many great grabs he made over the course of the 2022 season.

"What a play, Sergio Campana!"

The @Pirates center fielder makes an incredible diving catch for @The_Marauders: pic.twitter.com/GVGYPQFteg

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 17, 2022

Despite being a speed first player, Campana actually put up some really good exit velocity numbers early on in the season and hit seven home runs in 2022 after not hitting any previously in his professional career.

The batting line left more to be desired, as he slashed just .210/.332/.323, but did launch 22 extra-base hits, and stole a total of 29 bases. Campana finished third on the Marauders in hits, fourth in home runs while also finishing in the top 10 among all Florida State League hitters in stolen bases.

Sergio Campana with a two run shot with an EV of 105! 2-0 Bradenton #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/E56IcPfNEB

— Anthony Murphy (@__Murphy88) July 27, 2022

Campana has a really strong BABIP of .352, so when he puts the ball in play, he’s done well. The issue is the strikeouts, as he finished with the most on the team and fourth highest mark in the FSL. The added year of experience didn’t seem to help, and his strikeout rate went up in 2022 compared to the previous year in Bradenton.

The outfield has a chance to be really crowded in Bradenton/Greensboro, so playing time may get harder and harder to come by. Campana has some really interesting tools, and has some intriguing power for a speed guy, but he’s going to have to put the bat on ball more to move any further than he’s already at.