Junior grew up attending games at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal, home of multiple Dominican Winter League clubs...his family still lives less than 10 minutes from the ballpark...During his childhood years, his father was a truck driver and his mother worked in physical therapy...despite their busy schedules, his parents ensured he was able to pursue his love for baseball after taking up the sport at age five...He was an avid baseball fan throughout his childhood...at age nine, his parents welcomed another boy, Girardi, to the family...the name, which came at Junior’s suggestion, was a nod to then-Yankees manager Joe Girardi...His favorite player growing up was Alex Rodriguez, but he eventually grew fond of another No. 13 at the hot corner: Manny Machado...he took a selfie with Machado during batting practice at Oriole Park in 2014 while traveling to an international tournament with his youth league team...he finally faced Machado as a big leaguer last August, with the two swapping signed jerseys...Junior credits his idol as his inspiration for donning No. 13...Junior made headlines in his home country this offseason...in January, he was invited to the National Palace of the Dominican Republic to meet President Luis Abinader...he also led his hometown Leones del Esogido to a Dominican Winter League title, taking a spirited 55-second home run trot after his ninth-inning, go-ahead homer in Game 7 of the championship series...Escogido manager Albert Pujols referred to Junior as a “future Hall of Famer.”...Junior’s nickname is La Máxima, which translates to “the maximum” or “the greatest.”
2024
Hit .248/.299/.424 (41-for-165) with nine 2B, one 3B, six HR and 18 RBI in 43 games following his Aug. 13 promotion from Triple-A Durham...had two stints on the Minor League seven-day IL, both with left quad strains (April 2-14 & May 29–July 19)...Voted the club’s Outstanding Rookie by the Tampa Bay Chapter of the BBWAA...From the time of his Aug. 13 promotion through the end of the season, his 16 extra-base hits (9 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR) ranked third among AL rookies behind TEX Wyatt Langford (18) and DET Parker Meadows (17)...Despite appearing in only 43 games, recorded nine batted balls with an exit velocity of at least 110 mph, second most among Rays behind Yandy Díaz (22 in 145G)...from Aug. 13 on, he ranked seventh in the AL in the category, trailing NYY Giancarlo Stanton (16), NYY Aaron Judge (15), TOR Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (14), HOU Yordan Alvarez, NYY Juan Soto and KC Bobby Witt Jr. (10 each)...His 77.2 mph bat speed ranked fifth in the AL (min. 150PA) behind NYY Giancarlo Stanton (81.2), CLE Jhonkensy Noel (77.9), MIN Matt Wallner (77.3) and NYY Aaron Judge (77.2)...Hit .361 (13-for-36) with four of his six HR vs. four-seam fastballs...In his Aug. 13 season debut, hit a 116.3 mph single off HOU Yusei Kikuchi, the highest exit velocity by any MLB rookie in 2024...From Aug. 14-19, drew a walk in a career-best five straight games, tied with Ben Rortvedt (May 5-12) for the second-longest run by a Ray in 2024 (Isaac Paredes, 6G: July 23-28)...From Aug. 23-24 at LAD, homered in back-to-back games for the first time, going a combined 5-for-9 with one 2B, two HR, three RBI and five R...on Aug. 24, clubbed a game-tying home run in the ninth inning off Evan Phillips, the 19th game-tying/go-ahead homer in the 9th or later by a Rays rookie and first since Randy Arozarena on Sept. 28, 2021 at HOU off Phil Maton...totaled four XBH in the three-game set (2 2B, 2HR), most by a Rays rookie in a single series since Arozarena (4: 2B, 3B, 2HR) from Aug. 2-4, 2021 vs. SEA...Before his September graduation from prospect status, was named the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball by MLB.com on Aug. 29...On Sept. 14 at CLE, collected a career-high three XBH, all of which were doubles...at 21 years, 71 days, became the youngest player in the Majors with a three-double game since BAL Manny Machado (20.321) on May 23, 2013 at TOR...became the 12th rookie (15x) in franchise history with three XBH in a game (last: Randy Arozarena on May 19, 2021 at BAL)...On Sept. 17 vs. BOS, homered on a Nick Pivetta fastball 4.05 ft. above the ground, the second-highest pitch resulting in a Rays home run in the Statcast era (since 2015) behind Corey Dickerson (4.23 ft.) on Sept. 11, 2016 at NYY...On Sept. 28 at BOS, homered over the Green Monster as part of a three-hit effort...became the first Rays rookie with a three-hit, 3-RBI game since Randy Arozarena on June 9, 2021 vs. WSH...In 59 games between Durham and the FCL Rays, hit .274/.337/.521 (64-for-234) with 10 2B, 16 HR and 39 RBI...Played for Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League for the second consecutive season, helping the club to its first league title since 2016...earned championship series MVP honors after connecting on a go-ahead home run in the ninth inning of Game 7...led the tournament in average (.417), slugging pct. (.738), OPS (1.223), hits (35), home runs (tied, 4), extra-base hits (16) and total bases (62)...Is the eighth Ray with 15 extra-base hits or more and 25 RBI or more through his first 50 career games, joining a group highlighted by Brandon Lowe, Evan Longoria and Rocco Baldelli.
2023
Appeared in seven games after being selected from Double-A Montgomery on Sept. 22, each of...Named the Rays 2023 Minor League Player of the Year by the club’s baseball operations department…hit .327/.426/.617 (106-for-324) with 26 2B, 22 HR, 81 RBI and 59 BB in 93 games between Bowling Green and Montgomery, including 10 2B, five HR and 26 RBI in 30 games after his Aug. 9 promotion to Double-A...Was 20 years, 80 days old at the time of his debut, becoming the second-youngest player to debut for the Rays, trailing only B.J. Upton (19.347)…the only player younger than him (born 7/5/03) to appear in a major league game in 2023 was MIA Eury Pérez (4/15/03)...Six of his eight hits with the Rays registered exit velocities of at least 103.0 mph...Became the sixth Montgomery Biscuit, including the first position player, to be promoted directly to the Rays, joining José Alvarado (2017), Hunter Wood (2017), Chad Orvella (2005), John Webb (2004) and Scott Kazmir (2004)...Led Rays Minor Leaguers in batting average, on-base pct., slugging pct. and OPS (1.043), tied for third in homers, ranked fourth in RBI, fifth in extra-base hits (49) and sixth in walks...Named Double-A Player of the Year and a First Team Minor League All-Star by Baseball America…the publication also tabbed him as the best Power Hitter in the Rays organization for the second straight season in addition to the Best Defensive Third Baseman in High-A...Earned Southern League MVP honors, becoming the sixth Montgomery Biscuit to win the award…also recognized as the league’s Top MLB Prospect…was named Southern League Player of the Month for August after hitting .366 (34-for-93) with a league-leading 10 HR and 25 RBI across 24 games...Won the Breakout Player of the Year award at the inaugural MiLB Awards Show…finished as runner-up for Hitting Prospect of the Year to BAL Jackson Holliday...Recorded a 38-game on-base streak with Montgomery from July 19–Sept. 5, marking the longest run by a Biscuit since Hak-Ju Lee (46G: June 13–Aug. 3, 2012)...On Aug. 12 vs. Birmingham, recorded a career-high 3 HR and 6 RBI for Montgomery...On Sept. 23 vs. TOR, made his Major League debut and notched his first career hit with a 112.0-mph ingle off Hyun Jin Ryu…it marked the hardest-hit ball by a player age 20 or younger over the last four seasons (2020-23)…also marked the highest exit velocity recorded by any Rays hitter age 20 or younger in the Statcast era (since 2015)...On Sept. 26 at BOS, tallied his first career XBH with an RBI-double off the Green Monster in the opening frame...On Oct. 1 at TOR, hit his first career homer, a 107.0-mph, opposite-field shot off Tim Mayza…it marked the Rays 230th and final home run of the season, marking a new club record (prev. 228HR, 2017)...Went 5-for-15 (.333) with 1 HR and 5 RBI over his final three games...POSTSEASON: Went hitless in a pair of at-bats as a pinch hitter in the Rays AL Wild Card Series vs. the Rangers...Slashed .333/.362/.575 (29-for-87) across 21 games for Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League…his five HR were tied for third most in the league...Rated the No. 5 prospect in baseball in Baseball America’s in-season update.
2022
Named Most Valuable Player for the FCL Rays by the Rays Baseball Operations department…also earned an FCL postseason All-Star nod…hit .314/.384/.489 (75-for-239) with 7 2B, 11 HR and 51 RBI in 62 games between the FCL Rays and Class-A Charleston...Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in the Rays organization following the season…the publication also tabbed him as the best Power Hitter among Rays farmhands...Hit .303 (47-for-155) with 14 HR in 39 games for the Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League.
2021
Ranked among Dominican Summer League hitters in homers (T2nd, 9) and slugging pct. (5th, .534) in his first professional season...Acquired by the Rays from the Guardians on November 19, 2021 in exchange for RHP Tobias Myers.
