KANSAS CITY -- Why wait for Philadelphia?
On the day he committed to the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, Junior Caminero continued his incredible homer binge by going deep for the fifth straight game in the Rays’ 10-4 win over the Royals on Tuesday night.
Batting with runners on the corners and none out in the third inning, Caminero hammered an 0-1 fastball from left-hander Noah Cameron and blasted it to left field, just to the left of the fountains at Kauffman Stadium. Caminero’s 23rd home run of the season traveled a Statcast-projected 438 feet.
“With a hitter like that, with as hot as he is, can't really throw fastballs in the zone with him,” Cameron said. “Not necessarily a bad pitch to a normal hitter, I guess.”
But Caminero is not a normal hitter, and this is no ordinary hot streak he’s put together.
Caminero’s 23rd home run of the season was also the slugger’s eighth homer in his past seven games, the most in a seven-game span at age 22 or younger since at least 1900. Kyle Schwarber is the only player to go deep eight times in any seven-game stretch since 2022, having done so in May.
Caminero is the fourth player in Rays history to go deep in five consecutive games, joining Mike Zunino (Aug. 11-17, 2021), José Canseco (May 16-21, 1999) and Carlos Peña (a franchise-record six straight from June 6-12, 2010).
It’s tied for the longest home run streak overall at age 22 or younger since at least 1900, with Caminero putting himself in the same company as Ronald Acuña Jr. (2018), Brian McCann (2006) and Jack Clark (1978).
“Special player,” manager Kevin Cash said. “It's really impressive.”
Caminero has offered relatively simple explanations for the way he’s caught fire lately. He’s opened up his stance a bit. He’s feeling comfortable in the batter’s box. And with how much teams have pitched around him this season, he’s trying to be aggressive when he gets pitches in the zone.
When you’re as talented as he is, maybe it really is that simple.
“He's locked in,” said outfielder Ryan Vilade, who followed Caminero’s third-inning shot with a homer on Cameron’s next pitch. “I mean, he's Cami. He's doing his thing.”
If Caminero leaves the yard again on Wednesday night, he’ll be the first player in the Majors to homer in six straight games since Rafael Devers accomplished the feat for the Red Sox from May 15-20, 2024.
The all-time record for most consecutive games with a home run is eight, set by the Pirates’ Dale Long in 1956 and eventually matched by Don Mattingly (1987) and Ken Griffey Jr. (1993).
It’s likely no coincidence that Caminero’s historic hot streak has coincided with Tampa Bay’s best stretch in more than a month. Tuesday’s series opener was the Rays’ sixth straight victory, and they have outscored their opponents, 43-13, during the winning streak.
Griffin Jax handled most of the work on the mound against the Royals, throwing a season-high six innings to record his first quality start since he was in the Twins’ rotation on Aug. 16, 2021. And everyone got in on the action offensively, with eight players recording hits and six driving in runs.
Tuesday’s offensive outburst was the fifth straight game in which the Rays hit multiple home runs as a team, their longest such streak since a six-game run from April 3-9, 2023.
Caminero started this run by hitting three against the Royals last Thursday -- but teammates say his dominance is making them better, too.
“He's the leader in this lineup, and when he goes, we go,” said catcher Nick Fortes, who had two hits and two RBIs. “He's just been setting a really good example and a great tone for the rest of us. And, honestly, taking a lot of pressure off of other hitters, because he's been driving in so many runs himself.”
This is turning out to be quite a week for Caminero. On Monday, he was named American League Player of the Week. On Tuesday afternoon, he officially announced his participation in a second straight Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13.
Not long after that, he learned he was leading Blue Jays rookie Kazuma Okamoto in the first Phase 2 All-Star balloting update in a bid to start his second straight Midsummer Classic at third base for the AL.
“Continue voting. Continue,” Caminero said Tuesday afternoon. “Hopefully, we're starting.
And by the way, Caminero turns 23 years old on Sunday. The homer he hit on Tuesday night was the 75th of his career, tied with Joe DiMaggio and Juan Gonzalez for the 22nd-most by a player before his 23rd birthday.
No, this isn’t a normal hitter by any stretch.
“Thank God, he’s on our team,” Jax said, smiling.