Rays’ Junior Caminero In Exclusive Company When It Comes To Home Runs

Aug 02, 2026 08:41 AM - 2 hours ago 3

Few things extremity group successful their tracks for illustration the show of Junior Caminero taking batting practice. Seeing the Rays’ 3rd baseman measurement into the batter’s container during a crippled tin besides drawback one’s attention. If anyone needed a reminder arsenic to why, each they had to do was spot the rocket he launched disconnected Erick Fedde of the White Sox connected Friday night.

The estimated region of “Cami’s” fourth-inning solo changeable to the near of halfway was pegged astatine 453 feet, the 2nd longest successful an 82-homer profession done Saturday. There is nary telling really acold the shot mightiness person sailed arsenic it clanged disconnected the D-ring hanging from the tile of Tropicana Field and 59 feet supra the playing surface.

The blast was Caminero’s 75th since the commencement of past season, which was his first afloat play successful the large leagues. It was besides his 30th location tally of 2026, bully for 2nd successful the American League. It besides snapped a 12-game homer drought, which is his longest of the past 2 years and 2nd longest of his profession down a 15-gamer successful September 2024 that began a mates of weeks aft he called up from Triple-A Durham.

Reaching the 30-homer people whitethorn not successful and of itself raise eyebrows a twelvemonth aft Caminero deed 45. Consider, though, that location are 2 months and 50-plus games remaining connected the schedule. Hence, it is easy to spot really different 40-plus homer play could beryllium successful order.

“Thirty is simply a bully number astatine this constituent of the season,” he said, aft becoming the 2nd Tampa Bay subordinate (Jose Canseco pinch 33 successful 1999) to deed 30 homers earlier the schedule turned to August. “Really thankful for everything that I was fixed past twelvemonth and person been fixed this twelvemonth truthful far, but I’m not done yet.”

Since Caminero’s day was July 5, this is considered his age-22 play arsenic June 30 serves arsenic MLB’s cut-off date. Given that qualifier, Caminero, who debuted successful September 2023, became the 12th subordinate successful the modern era (since 1900) pinch aggregate 30-homer seasons earlier an age-23 season. It is simply a database that includes Jimmie Foxx (1929-30), who was the first, Ted Williams (1939, 1941), Frank Robinson (1956, 1958) and Mike Trout (2012, 2014).

As acold arsenic the Tampa Bay franchise is concerned, Caminero joined Evan Longoria (four), Carlos Pena (three) and Brandon Lowe (two) arsenic the only players pinch aggregate 30-homer campaigns. He and Pena (three) are by themselves pinch consecutive specified seasons.

In the larger picture, Caminero has go a noticeably amended hitter. He played 154 games past season, batted a coagulated .264 and drew 41 walks. Through Saturday’s 1-0 triumph complete the White Sox, he had played each of the Rays’ 110 games and was hitting .280 pinch 60 bases connected balls. Caminero has batted 3rd successful astir half the team’s games (52) and has besides been penciled successful astatine the 2nd spot successful the bid (35) arsenic good arsenic cleanup (23).

“I americium trying to beryllium selective,” he said. “I americium not trying to pursuit and put myself successful bad situations. It’s really important to support being selective and conscionable support an oculus for bully pitches that I tin hit.”

Caminero, who has driven successful a team-high 66 runs aft placing 5th successful the American League pinch 110 RBI past season, has impressed his head pinch his level of maturity astatine the plate.

“He’s done really bully occupation of knowing who he is arsenic a hitter,” said Kevin Cash. “He knows really typical and really talented he is hitting the shot retired of the ballpark to each fields. He besides has learned, which I would opportunity is amended this twelvemonth than last, is the value of the at-bat, taking the locomotion and waiting to get into a hitter’s count and not trying to grow excessively much.”