Junior Camerino Has Earned Top 10 MLB Rank With Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays have a genuine star with third baseman Junior Caminero.

Aug 23, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) throws out Baltimore Orioles third baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand (32) (not pictured) after fielding a ground ball during the eighth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ESPN revealed a mid-season player ranking, ranking the top 50 players in all of baseball, and Tampa Bay Rays fans will be pleasantly surprised to see their team well represented.

Multiple Rays players appeared on the list, with Junior Caminero being the top-ranked representative of the club, coming in at No. 7.

After a breakout 2025 season, Caminero is solidifying himself as a top player in the game with a fantastic 2026 season thus far. He is slashing .278/.365/.531 with an .896 OPS, and has slugged 35 homers and driven in 84 runs with 20 doubles, a triple and 81 runs scored.

The most notable aspect that has improved from last year compared to this year is his plate discipline. He has been focusing more on swinging at pitches in the zone and not chasing pitches out of the zone.

Junior Caminero has taken game to another level for Rays

Aug 23, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) hits an RBI single against the Baltimore Orioles during the sixth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There’s been a drastic improvement in his walk rate, which is currently 11.8% in 2026, a massive improvement over his mark of 6.3% in 2025. He currently has 68 walks in 132 games this year, compared to 41 in 154 games last year.

Along with his walk rate improving, his strikeout rate has also gotten better. Last year, his strikeout rate was 19.1%, which has steadily dropped from previous seasons. His strikeout rate is currently at 18.3% so far this season.

Additionally, Caminero has been contributing to a contending team and is a huge reason why Tampa Bay has been in first place in the division since the end of June. He is a key contributor to the Rays’ success this year, helping them remain atop the AL East despite teams like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox playing solid baseball lately.

Junior Caminero makes it a 4-way tie atop the league with 35 home runs! pic.twitter.com/SZoVyS74Am

— MLB (@MLB) August 12, 2026

So far in 2026, Caminero is second in the American League in home runs and tied for fourth overall, third in the AL in RBIs, third in the AL and sixth overall in OPS, and second in the AL and eighth overall in slugging percentage.

Caminero continues to prove himself as one of the game’s best players at just 23 years old. After his breakout rookie season in 2025, the emerging star has followed up that impressive year with another great campaign.

His rank at No. 7 is impressive considering he’s been able to consistently perform for Tampa Bay, solidifying his spot as a top-10 player in the game. It doesn't hurt that he is heading toward a likely top-five, if not top-three, finish in the AL MVP voting.