Rays' Junior Caminero joins elite company in win

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rays' Junior Caminero follows up Home Run Derby news by joining elite company in win over Royals

By Colby Colwell | Last updated Jun 30, 2026 11:55 PM ET

After announcing that he would be in the Home Run Derby field for the second year in a row on Tuesday, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero wasted no time reminding everyone why he should be considered a threat to win it.

He was instrumental in Tampa Bay's 10-4 win over the Kansas City Royals (35-51), going 2-for-5 with one home run and three RBI, courtesy of a three-run shot off starting pitcher Noah Cameron in a six-run third inning.

Not only did that continue the recent tear that Caminero has been on with his eighth homer in his last seven games, but he joins Jack Clark (1978), Brian McCann (2006) and Ronald Acuna Jr. (2018) as the only players age 22 or younger to homer in five consecutive games, per MLB Stats.

Junior Caminero continues to shine ahead of Home Run Derby

In a tie game with two on and zero outs in the third, Caminero crushed a 91-mph four-seam fastball 438 feet to left center field, giving the Rays (49-33) a 4-1 lead and one they would not surrender the rest of the night.

Junior Caminero homers in a FIFTH straight game! pic.twitter.com/Kn0Xz7ombb
— MLB (@MLB) July 1, 2026

After finishing runner-up with 15 home runs to Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (18) in the 2025 Home Run Derby, Caminero looks more than capable of going out and avenging that loss.

He has the fifth-most homers (23) in MLB to go along with 52 RBI and 47 walks this season. This all comes after he exploded for three long shots less than a week ago against the Royals and continued his home-run barrage in a weekend sweep over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Rays have now won six straight and have grabbed a 2.5-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East, a lot of which has been due to the power at the plate from the reigning AL Player of the Week.

Caminero, who is set to turn 23 on Sunday, has emerged as one of the league's most elite hitters after a 45-homer campaign last season. While he is a finalist to be the starting third baseman for the AL in the All-Star Game on July 14, he is out for a little revenge in the Home Run Derby beforehand.

"Champion," Caminero said ahead of Tuesday's game, per MLB.com's Adam Berry. "That's the goal."

This was a Rays team that got off to a slow start this season and was 12-11 following a loss to the Cincinnati Reds on April 21. Since then, they have gone 37-22 and look like a completely different team just past the halfway point of the regular season.

As Caminero continues to stay hot at the plate, this Rays team does not appear to be going anywhere. If the pitching can remain consistent and stay inside the top 10 with its ninth-best ERA in the league (3.78), Caminero's dominance at the plate could be more than enough for this team to make some noise the rest of the way.

Colby Colwell

Colby Colwell is a freelance contributor with a bachelor’s in Computer & Information Technology and a minor in Psychology from Western Kentucky University. With a deep passion for sports, especially NASCAR, he offers his substantial knowledge along with his adept writing skills. When he’s not writing, Colby enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with his family

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