Junior Caminero makes MLB history with latest home run

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

Rays star Junior Caminero makes MLB history with latest home run

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Jul 1, 2026 8:49 PM ET

Baseball's hottest hitter isn't just carrying his team — he's making history.

Tampa Bay Rays star Junior Caminero's six-game home run streak has made him the youngest player ever to accomplish the feat.

Junior Caminero surpasses Ken Griffey Jr. after latest home run

Caminero stepped into the box Wednesday night with a chance to homer in a sixth consecutive game. Rather than saving drama for later in the evening, Caminero went ahead and delivered right away.

He launched a Seth Lugo sinker into left field, and when the ball landed 425 feet later, Caminero had a home run in six consecutive games. In doing so, Caminero, at just 22 years old, became the youngest player to ever hit a home run in six straight games, surpassing Ken Griffey Jr.

Junior Caminero can't be stopped

He has 9 HR and 20 RBI in his last 8 games! pic.twitter.com/7K7iUbthn6
— MLB (@MLB) July 2, 2026

Junior Caminero should be in the middle of AL MVP conversations

Caminero's first-inning home run was his 24th of the season, third most in the American League. He ranked fifth in the latest ESPN awards tracker update, with the current favorite being Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez.

Obviously, Caminero will not homer in every game the rest of the season, but even a continued sliver of his hot streak could help him make up ground on Alvarez and the rest of the field.

Junior Caminero is just two games away from tying the all-time record

Caminero's current home run streak is the longest in MLB since Rafael Devers homered in six straight games during the 2024 season. The MLB record for consecutive games with a home run is eight, and it is shared by Dale Long, Don Mattingly and Griffey Jr.

Tampa Bay will have one more game against the Kansas City Royals before traveling to Houston for a three-game series against the Houston Astros. If Caminero is able to tie and eventually break the record, doing it in front of the favorite for AL MVP would certainly send a message.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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