Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero Misses Out on List of Top 10 MLB Third Basemen

ESPN's Buster Olney ranked his top 10 third basemen in MLB entering the 2025 season, designating Tampa Bay Rays up-and-comer Junior Caminero as an honorable mention.

Seattle, Washington, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) reacts after hitting a triple against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Coming off an explosive winter in the Dominican Republic, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero enters the 2025 MLB season with hype and momentum on his side.

ESPN's Buster Olney continued his series of ranking the top 10 players at each position across MLB, moving onto his list for third basemen on Thursday. Cleveland Guardians star José Ramírez claimed the top spot, followed by San Francisco Giants defensive stalwart Matt Chapman and Boston Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers.

Just outside of the top 10, Caminero earned an honorable mention.

That puts Caminero in the same camp as his teammate, Brandon Lowe, who Olney had as an honorable mention on the top 10 second basemen list. Yandy Díaz, on the other hand, was ranked as Olney's No. 10 first baseman.

Olney wrote that Caminero is poised to break out this season after batting .249 with six home runs, nine doubles, 18 RBIs, a .724 OPS and a 0.7 WAR across 43 MLB games in 2024.

Caminero went viral for his wild bat toss and home run trot in Game 7 of the Dominican Winter League Championship Series last month. In 31 total games with Leones del Escogido this offseason, he hit .419 with a 1.161 OPS.

The 21-year-old is a .307 hitter with a .921 OPS in his minor league career and a .327 hitter with a .969 OPS in his international career. Entering the 2024 season, Caminero was ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Rays' farm system and the No. 4 prospect in all of baseball.

Caminero hasn't lived up to those expectations yet, but he could very well establish himself as a superstar in the hot corner now that he is a full-time big leaguer.

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