Padres add Triple-A home run king on taxi squad ahead of MLB Playoffs

October baseball is a depth test as much as it is a talent test, and the Padres just gave themselves another answer sheet. By placing Triple-A home run king Luis Campusano on their taxi squad, San Diego didn’t just add an emergency backstop, they added a right-handed power bat with real thunder and the kind of hot-hand momentum that can flip a game, or a series, on one swing. Taxi-squad moves rarely grab headlines, but the calculus here is simple: protect the catching room, fortify the bench, and keep a legitimate run-producer within arm’s reach if the bracket gets weird.

It’s also a signal about how the Padres intend to play the margins. October turns on matchups and micro-advantages — one pinch-hit in the seventh, one sac fly in the ninth, one ball that finally finds the seats. Carrying Campusano, a proven Triple-A masher, gives San Diego optionality: late-inning platoon leverage, injury insurance behind the plate, and a hitter who’s been living in the middle of rallies for two months. Even if he never gets activated, he’ll spend the week eating the same scouting reports, catching side sessions, and staying synced with the staff — so if the call comes, he’s stepping into a world he already knows.

Padres tap Triple-A home run king for taxi squad ahead of October

Down below, the dominance was unquestioned. Campusano broke a franchise record with 25 home runs this season and stuffed the column with 25 doubles, 95 RBIs, 83 runs, and even a triple for good measure. It wasn’t just pop, it was sustained production.

The slash line backs up the eye test: .336/.441/.595 on the year. Campusano ended on a heater, hitting safely in 13 of 14 September games and batting .377 for the month after an August that bordered on silly: .418 with eight homers, six doubles, and 26 RBIs. That’s the definition of arriving in form.

Big-league life has been bumpier. Across 178 MLB games, Campusano owns a .240/.294/.372 line with 17 homers and 77 RBIs, the kind of uneven track record you’d expect from a bat-first catcher who has hopped between the majors and Triple-A while learning the league and the finer points of running a staff. For all the damage he’s done to Triple-A pitching, the full translation at the top level is still pending — but the underlying tools and the recent trend line argue there’s more to unlock.

And that’s what makes this taxi-squad slot interesting. If the Padres’ primary catchers stay healthy, the move still pays dividends in preparation and flexibility. If they don’t, or if a late-inning spot screams for right-handed thump — Campusano is a ready-made solution with fresh legs and a bat that’s been living in run-scoring time. October doesn’t promise fairytale arcs, but it loves cameos. If this one gets a scene, he’ll have a chance to make the loudest possible introduction.

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