ST. PETERSBURG -- When Junior Caminero reported to Spring Training ahead of his first full Major League season last year, he was hoping to hit 30 home runs for the Rays. That looked like a humble target, in hindsight, after he went on to slug 45 homers.
Caminero set no such goals, at least not publicly, heading into this season. But he’s once again on pace to fly by the target that now feels modest compared to his extraordinary ability, and he slugged his way into more elite company and provided the Rays’ lone offensive highlight in an otherwise-forgettable 6-1 loss to the White Sox on Friday night at Tropicana Field.
Facing White Sox starter Erick Fedde with one out in the fourth inning of the series opener between first-place teams, Caminero unloaded on a full-count sinker above the strike zone and blasted it out to center field for his 30th home run of the season.
“Thank you to God for another good year. Thirty is a good number right now, at this point of the season,” Caminero said through interpreter Kevin Vera. “We're looking for more. Yeah, just really thankful for everything that I've been given last year and everything that I've been given this year so far. But not done yet.”
The 109.5 mph shot banged off the D-ring catwalk above the Trop’s turf, but it was projected by Statcast to be the second-longest home run of Caminero’s young career, had the ballpark’s architecture not intervened, at 453 feet. The longest shot Caminero has hit in the Majors was a projected 463-foot poke to center field off Merrill Kelly at Tropicana Field on June 28.
Caminero had gone 12 games since his most recent homer on July 17 in Boston, the second-longest drought of his career behind a 15-game stretch from Sept. 1-15, 2024. Now, he is one of only six players in the Majors this season to reach the 30-homer milestone, joining the Astros’ Yordan Alvarez (35), the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber (33), the Rockies’ Hunter Goodman (31), the Yankees’ Ben Rice (31) and the Nationals’ James Wood (30).
“Very impressive. Happy for Junior,” manager Kevin Cash said. “I know he's been sitting on it for longer than what he wanted, but he's a really talented hitter. Matter of time.”
The two-time All-Star third baseman placed himself in a club with some of the Rays’ greatest power hitters, too, by reaching the 30-homer mark after going deep 45 times last year. Caminero is only the fourth player in franchise history to record multiple 30-homer seasons, joining Evan Longoria (four times), Carlos Peña (three) and Brandon Lowe (two).
Caminero also joined Peña as the only Rays hitters to have at least 30 homers in consecutive seasons, as Peña did so from 2007-09. He is also only the second Ray to hit his 30th home run before the end of July, as José Canseco had 31 in 1999.
It’s all the more impressive that Caminero has put up these numbers at such a young age, as he just celebrated his 23rd birthday on July 5. At 23 years and 26 days old, he became the sixth-youngest player with consecutive 30-homer seasons, by their age on the day of their 30th home run, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, behind the following:
• Miguel Cabrera, 2004-05, at 22 years and 143 days
• Albert Pujols, 2001-02, at 22 years and 223 days
• Jimmie Foxx, 1929-30, at 22 years and 287 days
• Eddie Mathews, 1953-54, at 22 years and 299 days
• Giancarlo Stanton, 2011-12, at 22 years and 301 days
“Thank you to God for getting me in that position, and I was able to send that one out,” Caminero said. “I've been waiting for it for a little bit, but thankful to get the 30th.”
Caminero’s solo shot off Fedde put the Rays on the board, but they were still trailing thanks to a separate display of power by the White Sox. Starter Nick Martinez allowed a season-high-tying six runs on a career-high four homers in six innings, later saying the young Sox were on top of every mistake he made.
Meanwhile, Caminero hit his milestone in a way that felt both fitting and ironic. It seemed right that Caminero clobbered a pitch outside the strike zone, because he’s now done so on 11 of his 30 homers, but it also contradicted the improvement that’s allowed Caminero to transform into a better all-around hitter this year.
Last season, Caminero swung at 50.4% of the pitches he saw and recorded a 32.1% chase rate, a big reason why he only walked 41 times in 154 games. This year, he’s swinging and chasing less, and he’s already worked 60 walks in 109 games.
Still, it is remarkable that Caminero has improved his average and on-base percentage without sacrificing any of his incredible power.
“I'm trying to be selective. I'm not trying to chase. I'm not trying to put myself in bad situations,” Caminero said. “It's really important to just keep being selective moving forward and just keeping an eye for good pitches.”