The inside story of the home run trot seen 'round the world

Junior Caminero hits a lot of home runs. And not only that, he hits them really, really hard and, often, really, really far. But you probably knew that already. That’s partially why he’s heading back to the Home Run Derby for the second straight year.

Few of his moonshots have been as monumental -- in both measurables and magnitude of moment -- as one from his time in the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League (LIDOM) in January 2025.

Caminero rocketed a walk-off solo home run 454 feet to straightaway center field in Game 7 of the 2024-25 season championship. By doing so, then-21-year-old Caminero delivered a title to his childhood favorite team over powerhouse rival Tigres del Licey.

As it turns out, Caminero tried to warn Licey against letting that moment happen.

While discussing the homer during the latest episode of ESPN podcast “Sources Tell Jeff Passan,” Caminero said he warned Licey catcher Francisco Mejía -- a close friend -- to not let pitcher Jairo Asencio throw another fastball, after the first one missed for a ball outside.

“I told him, ‘If Jairo Asencio throws me a fastball again, look.’”

Sure enough, Asencio tried his luck with another fastball. Caminero did exactly what he foreshadowed to Mejía . “Way gone,” Caminero described it, adding that he thought it was well beyond the measured 454 feet.

He followed it up with an unbelievable celebration, flipping his bat some 40 feet in the air and high-fiving teammates before even making it halfway down the first-base line. The home run trot took a whopping 56 seconds.

“I blacked out,” Caminero said. “I don’t remember when I ran to the base. If I see the video? OK. But in that moment, when I went to the base, I blacked out.”

Caminero was already champing at the bit to deliver the walk-off before the inning began. He watched as Asencio took the mound for his second inning of work and made a bold prediction to someone else in the Escogido dugout.

“I told myself, ‘If Jairo Asencio comes back … big problem,’” Caminero said. And when it happened, “The game’s over,” Caminero added.

Perhaps that homer acted as a springboard for a roaring start to Caminero’s MLB career. He blasted 45 home runs in his first full season in 2025 along with earning his first All-Star selection. Caminero has only followed that up with 26 homers this year and his second trip to the Midsummer Classic.

“I think, in that moment,” Caminero said, “that’s when life started changing for me.”