Junior Caminero Has Solidified Position as True Superstar for Rays

With a second great season in a row, and a chance to win the AL MVP, Junior Caminero has emerged as a true superstar.

Oct 28, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) runs after hitting a single against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning in game five of the 2026 World Series at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tampa Bay Rays were able to have an incredible offseason, and the team is now going to be trying to figure out how to repeat their success from the 2026 campaign. Fortunately, they do have one of the best players in baseball to build around. 

As the Rays start up the offseason, nobody will be overlooking them for next year. Tampa Bay was one of the biggest surprises in all of baseball last year, and they ended up making it all the way to the World Series. Unfortunately, they came up short against the Milwaukee Brewers. 

Now, with a good portion of the team expected to be back for next season, the Rays should once again be very good. However, Tampa Bay is an impossible team to predict on what they will do, and the Rays very well could shake things up. One thing is for sure for Tampa Bay, and that is that Junior Caminero won’t be going anywhere. 

Caminero Is a Superstar

Oct 28, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) hits a single against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning in game five of the 2026 World Series at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the MVP awards set to be announced on Thursday, Junior Caminero being a finalist for the award in just his second full season is a major accomplishment. As the best player on the best team in the American League this year, the young slugger is certainly going to have a chance to win it. 

This season, Caminero slashed.276/.360/.524 with 42 home runs and 101 RBI. It was the second straight season in which he was able to total at least 40 home runs with 100 RBI. At just 23 years old, being able to accomplish that feat in back-to-back years is extremely impressive.   

While Caminero has put up MVP-caliber numbers in each of the last two years, whether or not he will be able to win the award remains to be seen. 

Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez figures to be the favorite, but being a designated hitter and not playing the field could impact his chances a bit. However, the offensive numbers for Alvarez were staggering, and it might not matter that he doesn’t play the field. 

This season, Alvarez slashed 316/.432/.601 with 42 home runs and 106 RBI. The slash line for the Astros’ slugger was extremely impressive, and he is very deserving of winning the award. 

However, even if Caminero doesn’t get the win, this season has proved that he is a true superstar in the majors right now. For Tampa Bay, having someone of his caliber on the team really changes things, and he is a major difference-maker.