A year ago, Junior Caminero was a prospect with less than 50 games of Major League Baseball experience.
After a spectacular winter with the Leones del Escogido of LIDOM that he punctuated with a championship-series ending moonshot of a home run against their capital city rivals, the Tigres del Licey, there were big expectations for Caminero as the MLB season got underway. He’s more than met them, batting .259/.296/.515 with an .811 OPS, 25 homers and 65 RBIs through 94 games.
Junior Caminero hit the most crucial home run of his career: a 454 FT no doubter in the top of the 9th to put his team ahead 6-5 in Game 7 of the LIDOM final. pic.twitter.com/aXjLnXDorU
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) January 28, 2025
This past week, he finished second in the annual Home Run Derby, putting on a show for the fans despite losing to MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh 18-15 in the final round. When the All-Star Break ended, he went 6-for-14 in Tampa Bay’s three-game series against Baltimore, clubbing two homers and scoring two runs while also driving in six as the Rays took two-of-three from the Orioles, earning World Baseball Network’s International MLB Player of the Week honors.
Junior Caminero thinks he's still in the derby pic.twitter.com/RTLO8CZSLR
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 18, 2025
It’s the second time he’s taken the weekly honor this season, with the first nod coming on June 2, after he went 11-for-29, hitting four homers and drove in 13 runs as the Rays went 5-2 the week of May 26 to June 1.
Caminero’s play has kept the Rays, who are playing out of the New York Yankees’ spring training home, Steinbrenner Field, due to hurricane damage to Tropicana Field, competitive. They’re 52-48, just 1 1/2 games out of a wild card spot, with 62 games left to play in the season.
Though Caminero isn’t eligible for the American League Rookie of the Year award, as he passed the eligibility mark of 25 games last year, his contributions haven’t gone unnoticed around baseball.
Junior Caminero is going to be one of the top 3rd basemen in baseball for many years.
He is on pace for:
.256 / 40 HR / 105 RBI / 8 SB
Oh and he’s 22 years old.
pic.twitter.com/hitoy1FSOi— Andrew DeCeglie (@Andrew_FBB) July 19, 2025
If the Rays make the playoffs, Caminero will be one of the big reasons why.
WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
Photo: Tampa Bay Rays’ Junior Caminero reacts during the MLB baseball All-Star Home Run Derby, Monday, July 14, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
