The Tampa Bay Rays called up Junior Caminero on Tuesday to face the Houston Astros.
THE Prospect #2 in the 2024 class quickly demonstrated the skill set that makes him so sought after.
Caminero, a 21-year-old third baseman, showed off his prowess at the hot corner on a soaring ball down the line by Astros right fielder Mauricio Dubón in the second inning. Caminero dove for the out on a ball that otherwise would have likely gone to extra bases and likely set up Jake Meyers to score from first base.
Instead, it ended the round.
At bat, Caminero was thrown out in his first at-bat in the bottom of the inning. But he got his first MLB hit of the season in his second at-bat on one of the hardest-hit balls of the year.
Junior Caminero’s first hit in The Show comes in at 116.3 mph, an exit velocity among the top 50 recorded during the MLB season.
MLB’s second-ranked prospect (@RaysBaseball) was ranked second in Triple-A in EV and hitting rate before his call-up. pic.twitter.com/Fq92nf5wTX
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 14, 2024
Caminero reached first base with a single against starter Yusei Kikuchi who traveled 116.3 mph from the start. According to Baseball Savantonly 14 players this season have hit the ball harder. He got the ball out from under the strike zone.
Will Caminero’s power help the Rays get back into playoff contention?
The hard-hit ball follows his scouting report. Radius measurementsHis 57 percent hitting percentage with the AAA Durham Bulls was second best in the International League when he was called up Tuesday.
This isn’t Caminero’s first time with the Rays. Tampa Bay recalled him for a brief stint last season in the midst of a playoff race. He went 4-for-34 (.235) in seven regular-season games with a home run and seven RBIs. He then went hitless in two playoff at-bats in Tampa Bay’s playoff loss to the Texas Rangers.
This season’s call-up came with 44 games remaining and the Rays sitting at 59-59. 5.5 games behind in AL wild-card raceTampa Bay is unlikely to make the playoffs, but Caminero’s call-up makes the race more interesting.
Caminero has the power to make an immediate impact at the MLB level. In 2023, he hit .324/.384/.591 with 31 homers and 94 RBIs, a big reason the Rays called him up when the stakes were at their highest.
Quadriceps injuries limited him to 53 games with the Bulls this season. He was productive when healthy, hitting .277/.331/.498 with 13 home runs and 34 RBIs.
He has to adjust to MLB pitching. Caminero finished 1 for 4 on Tuesday with three strikeouts. He’s been struck out on three pitches in each of his last two at-bats. But batting discipline hasn’t been an issue. Every one of his swings has been on balls in the zone.
Houston won Tuesday’s game, 3-2.