Junior Caminero Keeps Chance at Making Rays All-Star History Alive
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There is no doubt that Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero is among the most talented sluggers in the MLB.
Turning only 23 years old on July 5, he has showcased prodigious power production during his short professional career. Only scratching the surface of his potential, there is another level for him to get to based on his swing profile.
In his most recent game, Caminero recorded his first career game with three home runs against the Kansas City Royals. It was a nice punctuation to Phase 1 of the MLB All-Star Game voting coming to a close.
In first place for virtually the entire process, the Rays star has advanced to Phase 2. He will be going up against Kazuma Okamoto for the starting spot on the American League All-Star Team at third base.
Junior Caminero onto Phase 2 of MLB All-Star voting
Voting will begin on Monday, June 29, at 12 pm ET. Ballots will remain open until Thursday, July 2, at 12 pm ET. Tampa Bay and MLB fans will hopefully get behind Caminero again, as he looks to make franchise history.
There has never been a Rays player to start consecutive All-Star games in the history of the franchise. In 2025, Caminero started for the AL All-Star Team as a replacement for Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians. This year, he is looking to earn the spot outright.
Tampa Bay’s star is certainly worthy of the honor. After finishing his first full Big League campaign in 2025 with 45 home runs and 110 RBI, he has taken his overall game to another level in 2026.
While the power numbers have dropped slightly, that is as much to do with opponents just not challenging him in the zone as often. Caminero has done a great job of taking what opposing pitchers give him, not expanding his zone, and swinging at balls to try to hit home runs.
He's a finalist, now make him a starter 👊
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 25, 2026
Phase 2 of All-Star voting starts on 6/29! pic.twitter.com/GjIK8XnAhW
It has resulted in an impressive jump in his statistics. Through 78 games and 342 plate appearances, Caminero has a .285/.377/.519 slash line, improving his batting average by 21 points over last year and on-base percentage by an astonishing 66 points thus far.
He has already drawn more walks in 2026 with 45 than he did the entirety of 2025, when he had 41. His strikeout rate has also dipped, going from 19.1% last year to 17.8% thus far this year. Caminero’s OPS+ has increased by 15 as well, as he is making remarkable strides at the plate.
Even if he cannot beat out Okamoto for the starting spot, Caminero will be on the AL All-Star Team in 2026 for the second straight year.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. Previously, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.