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Tigers Prospect Roberto Campos Credits Taylor Swift With Helping Him Learn English

The Detroit outfielder immersed himself in the language.

Patrick Andres

Roberto Campos runs the bases in 2023.
Roberto Campos runs the bases in 2023. / Cody Scanlan/Holland Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Many Americans are interested in learning other languages, but have no idea where to begin outside the confines of Duolingo or similar programs.

Roberto Campos—an Cuban outfielder in the Detroit Tigers' farm system—is here to help. On Friday, in an interview with Jason Beck for MLB.com, Campos disclosed that he used American popular music to teach him English—namely, Taylor Swift.

“Thanks, Taylor Swift,” he said. “She’s incredible.”

Beck wrote that Campos's learning regimen included speaking English with teammates in the clubhouse and watching action movies with subtitles as well.

“My first year, I wasn’t able to speak English. That was so hard for me,” the Havana native said. “My second year was more relaxed because I can be fluent in English.”

Campos, 21, slashed .272/.342/.425 with 10 home runs and 66 RBIs in 2024 for the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps of the Midwest League.

The lesson for Anglophone Americans looking to sharpen their Spanish or French: Bad Bunny and Stromae await you.

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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .

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