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buster olney
multiple authors
Miami– junior caminero A legacy that appears to be a worthy successor to the throne of major league power hitters. aaron judge, shohei ohtani And kyle schwarber One day it will be handed over to the next generation. But there’s more to Caminero than just his extraordinary ability to slug a baseball that fascinates his teammates, something that draws them to him.
Maybe it’s the gravitational pull of her raw happiness. Representing his home country the Dominican Republic, he hit his first home run of the World Baseball Classic last Friday against Nicaragua. Line-drive blast to right-center field He hit a speed of 116.9 mph to break the 3-3 tie. Caminero shouted loudly as he rounded the bases, without any pretense or premeditated planning, responding to his teammates’ celebration by shouting with joy. “It’s beautiful,” he said later. “When I was running the bases, I didn’t hear people screaming. I shed a couple of tears when I got to the dugout.”
In DR’s next game, Caminero was hit by a pitch, and as he took slow steps toward first base, the crowd became appropriately quiet, collectively concerned. Then, he broke into a big smile, yelled and waved his arms, eliciting sympathy and booing the crowd.
Caminero is 22 years old, and with his balanced, smooth swing that allows him to drive the ball in all directions, the third baseman has clubbed 45 homers. tampa bay rays In 2025. Now, after spending the winter training to strengthen his body, he is posting triple-digit exit velocities nearly every time he makes contact. Caminero, who has two home runs and five RBIs in this year’s World Baseball Classic, could be the breakout star of the tournament, and other Dominican players and mentors — including Hall of Famers David Ortiz and Adrián Beltre, and DR manager Albert Pujols — will enjoy Caminero’s time on center stage.
“The best thing about Junior Caminero is he’s not afraid of the moment,” Pujols told reporters last weekend. “He’s not afraid of this space. He’s willing to open up and get better.”
“When this kid figures it out and gets better…” Pujols said, a slight smile of surprise crossing his face. “Because there’s a lot of little things, especially with his swing, he can get better at, and at 22 years old, you can’t touch that because he’s doing what he’s doing and putting up big numbers.”
Another star of the Dominican Republic team has been uppermost in Caminero’s mind since the tournament began – and it’s a player Caminero has been watching for a long time.
is a picture of manny machadoFrom his Baltimore days, in which he’s wearing an Orioles T-shirt and posing next to a guy with the widest, happiest smile: a very young Caminero. He wore Machado’s number 13 while playing amateur baseball, and now wears it for the Rays. Caminero also has a chain around his neck with the number 13 engraved on it.
Machado said, “I knew he always liked that number – and so he conspired.” When the jerseys were handed out for the World Baseball Classic, Machado gave the number 13 jersey to Caminero, who was impressed, his face immediately developing into the same smile he had worn when his teenage years stood for that photo with Machado.
“I thought it would be great,” said Machado, who wore his favorite No. 3 for the tournament.
His success on the international stage involves not just his teammates – but also his major league managers.
After Caminero’s first home run in this World Baseball Classic, Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash sent a message to congratulate his player. “To put him in front of that group of players was really impressive,” Cash said over the phone a few days later. “I see a guy who is very eager to continue that superstar trajectory.”
Caminero’s 45 homers were the second most for a player in a season at age 21 last year:
Eddie Matthews, 1953:47
Caminero, 2025: 45
Mel Ott, 1929: 42
Ronald Acuna Jr.., 2019: 41
According to ESPN researcher Paul Hambakids, Caminero had the most hits ever on swings of at least 80 mph during the 2025 season:
Caminero: 61
giancarlo stanton:44
Vladimir Guerrero Jr..: 40
With Caminero being so young and productive and blossoming into superstardom this tournament, he could be a candidate for such a long-term deal roman anthony Signed last August with boston red sox –or one Jesus Luzardo just signed with philadelphia phillies. It appears that Caminero is the type of player any franchise would want to draft – especially a team like the Rays, who are operating under new ownership.
But for several reasons it is highly unlikely that Caminero will sign a long-term deal with them in the near future. Before Tampa Bay can clearly decide its future payroll, it will have to wait for the outcome of Wander Franco’s legal situation. In the fall of 2021, the Rays signed an 11-year, $182 million contract, but he has not played through August 2023. Franco, who has been on MLB’s restricted list since his arrest, was guilty of sexual exploitation of a minor A further two-year suspended sentence was given in the Dominican Republic last summer, but a The appeals court has ruled that he should have a retrial.
Additionally, Rays’ new ownership carried forward the efforts of the previous regime. Get a new ballpark and look for expanded Tampa growth Which may reflect the Braves’ battery investment north of Atlanta. The Rays hope to open a new home for the 2029 season. But as former owner Stuart Sternberg can attest, this venture has a wide range of possible outcomes. Include other factors in the mix, including the possibility of a Baseball halted in 2027 The current collective bargaining agreement expires in December, and the bottom-line clarity needed to strike a big, expensive deal with Caminero probably isn’t possible at this time.
The Rays’ best opportunity to sign him to a long-term, team-friendly contract may have passed anyway. With his 45-homer breakout in 2025 and the promise we’ve already seen, Caminero is on the path to follow juan sotoWay through arbitration and free agency and eventually join Soto and Guerrero in the inner circle of MLB player compensation, where the first numbers on their contracts start with 4, 5, 6 or 7. Caminero, who turns 23 in July, could be eligible for free agency in the late 2030s at age 27.
But those decisions are far in the future. Until then, Machado and other Dominican Republic players – and the Rays – will enjoy watching Caminero and his ascent continue.
