Rays Emerging Star Junior Caminero Named Finalist for Prestigious Award

The 2025 MLB regular season was a coming-out party for Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero.

One of the top prospects in baseball during the 2024 preseason, he flashed some of that potential in his first extended chance at the Big League level. In 177 plate appearances in 2024, he had an OPS+ of 105, hitting six home runs, nine doubles and one triple.

Making his debut at only 20 years old near the end of the 2023 campaign, he flew through the minor league system. Some may have argued that he was moved too rapidly along, but all those concerns went out the window in 2025.

Caminero is only scratching the surface of his potential, turning 22 years old in July. But he is a bona fide middle-of-the-order threat already. His power production at the plate was elite in his first full Major League season.

That has led to him being a finalist for a prestigious award. He is one of 20 finalists, 10 in each the American League and National League, to win the Hank Aaron Award. It is given annually to the best offensive player in each league.

The Rays star certainly has a legitimate claim to receiving the honor this year. He tore the cover off the ball with a .264/.311/.535 slash line. 45 home runs were launched along with 28 doubles and 110 RBI.

Caminero finished seventh in the AL in slugging percentage, third in home runs and fifth in RBI. His +25 Batting Run Value, per Baseball Savant, is in the 91st percentile.

There are a lot of elite numbers on his Baseball Savant page. There isn’t a player in baseball who swings harder than he does, with an average of 78.6 mph. That kind of swing speed leads to serious damage being done at the plate.

Given his age, it is fair to assume that he will improve in areas of weakness. For example, his chase rate of 32.2% and walk rate of 6.3% are both well below the league average. Improving his strike zone recognition will result in better numbers across the board.

The potential is certainly there because his whiff rate and strikeout rates aren’t awful, given his swing profile right now. He is barely below average in whiff rate in the 47th percentile, and his strikeout rate is above-average in the 64th percentile.

Even if he doesn’t win the Hank Aaron Award in 2025, there is a strong chance he is in the running for the next decade, at least. He already made the first of what should be multiple All-Star teams this year, was nominated for an All-MLB Team and possessing one of the brightest futures in the game.