Gustavo Campero’s Road To the Outfield and Beyond

On a Rocket City team filled with returning players, one catcher-turned-outfielder flew under the radar as the season began.

Gustavo Campero had played in eight games for the Trash Pandas across the 2022-2023 seasons, now he’s blossomed into an every-day player with an increased role.

Part of that came from working to master a new position.

After starting his professional career as a catcher, Campero had seen some time in the outfield but approached the organization to make a change.

“I’m an athlete, I can run and jump, but catcher is only one position,” Campero said. “I talked with the organization about giving me the opportunity to play another position and they asked what I can do, I said I can catch a fly ball and run the outfield.”

It’s the first season of Campero’s professional career where he has yet to play behind the plate, instead starting at both corner outfield positions during the season.

That knowledge of what it takes to play a catcher helps Campero out in a different aspect of the game.

The Trash Pandas have worked to be more aggressive on the basepaths this season, with Campero leading the way.

Campero is second on the team with 11 stolen bases playing a big role in the Trash Pandas 53 stolen bases as a collective group. Rocket City is second at the Double-A level in stolen bases, just three behind first-place Mississippi.

The 26-year old outfielder said it was the team's goal at the start of the season to take advantage of their speed.

“We set out a standard as a team,” Campero said. “We’ve got a speedy team and that’s made it more difficult for the pitcher and catcher to call the game.”

Campero made waves across the Angels organization with a strong 2023 season with High-A Tri-City, hitting .337 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI to go along with 20 stolen bases.

That was good enough to end the season with Rocket City. The key to that success for Campero is how he prepares for each day.

“Preparation is the main thing for me,” Campero said. “Every day, every season I’m just trying to be ready, turn a fresh page and be ready to go.”

Although Trash Pandas fans are seeing Campero on a consistent basis for the first time, everything they are seeing in the Lorica, Colombia native are things that Trash Pandas manager Andy Schatzley and the rest of the coaching staff were more than used to.

“The passion and the work ethic matches the ability,” Schatzley said. “What fans have seen over the past few weeks is what we’ve seen ever since we first came in contact with him.”

While Schatzley does credit Campero’s work on the strength and conditioning end to help see the field more, the Trash Pandas manager sees a player taking advantage of the opportunity being presented to him.

“He’s always been a talented player and worked to increase his physicality,” Schatzley said. “We’re starting to see the opportunity for consistent at-bats, with his work ethic and talent level, once an opportunity presents itself this is exactly what we’d expect from him.”

Campero sees his path in the organization as a player who can be a manager's dream on a roster. Finding any way to be penciled in the lineup on any given day, including learning even more positions.

“I’m preparing for the infield too, to be in the lineup everyday,” Campero said. “Putting my offense in the lineup everyday, give me the opportunity to play and I show up all day.”

While he hasn’t appeared in the infield during a game during the season, Campero has participated in fielding drills with Schatzley and the rest of the Trash Panda infielders before games.

When he first began to make the full-time switch to outfield, Campero had impressed Schatzley with his adaptiveness as an athlete.

“He’s open to whatever opportunity the organization or the game is willing to present him with,” Schatzley said. “He’s a versatile athlete and a talented player, he’s got a good feel and ability to do a variety of things.”

Schatzley mentioned that continuing to do what he’s doing each day is key for Campero and for a player who prides himself on his preparation, Campero already has a leg up.

While the outfield is still newer to Campero, he aims to master it and continue to learn whatever the Angels organization needs from him and then some.

“For me that’s my goal, to play every position,” Campero said. “Being the guy that can do whatever the manager says, that’s my mentally right now.”