Junior Caminero stepped to the plate in the seventh inning of Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night still looking for his first career postseason home run. The All-Star third baseman slugged 42 home runs in the regular season, but had yet to hit a long ball through the first 34 postseason at-bats of his career – a stretch that dates back to the 2023 season.
Then, with one mighty swing of the bat, Caminero reminded everyone of what he is capable of.
He turned on a first-pitch splitter from Guardians closer Cade Smith, launching a towering fly ball toward the left-field corner. Caminero’s moonshot clanked off the foul pole, a two-run home run that pushed the Rays’ lead to 5-1 en route to Tampa Bay's pennant-clinching 7-3 win.
And with Tropicana Field in delirium, Caminero took his time around the bases. His 38.66-second home run trot is the second-slowest under Statcast (since 2015) on an undisputed home run or interrupted trot. The longest trot? That also belongs to Caminero, who took 40.65 seconds to round the bases after launching a home run against the Athletics on Sept. 15, 2026.
Caminero took 13.23 seconds to run from home plate to first base. On his way, he stopped and turned toward the Rays’ first-base dugout, emphatically pounding his chest and unleashing a roar. Then, after rounding third base, Caminero pointed to the stands, crossed his arms and shrugged – emulating the iconic pose of former Rays’ outfielder Randy Arozarena, who just so happened to be in attendance on Monday night.