Tampa Bay Rays infielder Junior Caminero was added to the American League All-Star team as a replacement on Tuesday, and announced on Wednesday morning that he will partake in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby.
“Power. Style. Caminero. Let the show begin,” he captioned his announcement post on Instagram.
Caminero said last month that he would put on a show if he competed in the home run derby, according to MLB.com’s Adam Berry. Caminero has some serious power in his bat, and he knows how to put on a show. He has 21 home runs this year, leading the Tampa Bay Rays, but if fans want to see the type of electricity he can bring, they need to look back to Game 7 of the Liga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana championship.
In a 5-5 game in the top of the ninth, Caminero delivered a 454-foot blast to put the Leones del Escogido on top of the Tigres del Licey. His home run was the decisive blow, but what came after the ball left his bat is most exciting.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"
Junior Caminero sends this baseball into orbit to give Leones del Escogido the lead in the 9th! pic.twitter.com/4WXMy0PH1L
— MLB (@MLB) January 28, 2025
He tossed his bat sky high and paused to celebrate with his entire team on his way to first base. He then stopped at third base to celebrate with his third base coach before stomping on home plate and tossing his helmet, with his team waiting for him.
Caminero, a Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic-native, joins some other international superstars in the Home Run Derby. Venezuelan outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and Dominican shortstop Oneil Cruz are also participating.
“I’m going to put on a show. I’m going to try to put on a show just to give the fans the opportunity to get to know me, see my power,” Caminero said Wednesday, per MLB.com. “Just being there with all those other All-Stars, it’s going to be something very special.”
WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
Photo: Junior Caminero hits a home run, leading Taylor Walls and Brandon Lowe to score, during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Sunday, June 15, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith, File)
