Junior Caminero Will Make Rays History in AL All-Stars Starting Lineup
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Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero is the kind of player every team would love to have as the face of their franchise.
He is the perfect representative for a Rays team that is returning to prominence in the American League. Entering the All-Star break, they were in first place in the AL East, leading the New York Yankees by three games.
Caminero is one of the driving forces behind the team’s success. He just turned 23 years old on July 5, yet has already accomplished so much in his young career, putting him on an impressive trajectory.
This is the second consecutive year that he was named to the AL All-Star Team, and when he takes the field as part of the starting lineup, he will make franchise history as the first Tampa Bay player to start consecutive All-Star games.
Junior Caminero batting cleanup for AL All-Star Team
The manager for the AL All-Star Team this year is someone who knows Caminero very well: Toronto Blue Jays skipper John Schneider. Instead of having to game plan against the young slugger, he will have the benefit of being on the same side as him this time around.
He will be starting at third base and batting cleanup for the AL All-Stars. His teammate, Yandy Diaz, will be coming off the bench as the backup designated hitter behind Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros.
Last year, Caminero was picked as the replacement for Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians, who didn’t participate. This time around, he has to feel even better about it because he was voted as a starter by the fans.
The Rays star advanced past Phase 1 along with Kazuma Okamoto of the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite his having an entire nation behind him, MLB fans voted for Caminero to start at the hot corner for the AL All-Star Team.
The AL's starting lineup for the #AllStarGame (Tuesday, 8 pm ET on @MLBONFOX):
— MLB (@MLB) July 13, 2026
Mike Trout, CF
Yordan Alvarez, DH
Shea Langeliers, C
Junior Caminero, 3B
Bobby Witt Jr., SS
Cody Bellinger, RF
Ben Rice, 1B
Riley Greene, LF
Ernie Clement, 2B
Dylan Cease, P
It is a distinction that was earned with incredible production at the plate through the first half of the campaign. Camerino has improved his output across the board from his historic 2025, producing a .279/.372/.555 slash line with 28 home runs and 59 RBI.
Possessing the most violent swing in baseball, averaging 79.9 mph, he does lethal damage whenever he connects with the baseball. The scariest part is that there are still levels to his game that can be unlocked, as he hits ground balls on nearly half of his at-bats, coming in at 49.5%.
If he ever starts putting the ball into the air more, especially to the pull side, he could produce some truly eye-popping home run numbers. But even if his profile remains the same, he is one of the most dangerous sluggers in the game.
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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.