Junior Caminero Receives Incredibly High Spot in Top 100 Players Rankings
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When coming up through the Tampa Bay Rays minor league system, third baseman Junior Caminero was a highly-touted prospect.
He reached as high as No. 3 in MLB prospect rankings, which comes with a lot of pressure. Players who are that high on the rankings are expected to become superstars, the face of the franchise, kind of performers.
The Rays and their fans got a cameo in 2023 at what the future could bring. In 2024, after the MLB trade deadline, Caminero was called up again, and he has been with the Big League club ever since.
2025 was his first full season as a Major Leaguer, and he took the sport by storm. So much so, he is already being regarded as one of the best players in the MLB by a group that includes more than a dozen experts shared by ESPN.
Where did Junior Caminero land on the MLB Rank 2026: Top 100 players?
They all submitted lists, and averages were taken to come up with the MLB Rank 2026: Top 100 players. To the surprise of some, Caminero is No. 23 on that list after his breakout campaign.
That makes him the No. 2-ranked third baseman behind only Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians, who is ranked No. 12. Only 14 position players are ahead of him (that doesn’t include Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers or Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies, who are designated hitters).
How did Caminero become so highly-regarded so quickly? He wasted no time making his presence felt in the middle of the Tampa Bay order, putting together one of the most impressive power-hitting seasons for a player his age.
In his age-21 season, Caminero launched 45 home runs and recorded 110 RBI. He produced 4.4 bWAR, anchoring the team’s lineup as a bona fide power threat who could take his performance to another level.
Junior Caminero can take production to another level
If he can hone in on his pitch selection and continue keeping the ball off the ground, his numbers could increase even more. Entering his age-22 season, he is just scratching the surface of his immense potential.
On top of his production with the bat, another encouraging development has been his defense. While not Gold Glove caliber yet, he is showing improvements defensively that will raise his floor even more.
This spring, he came into camp in great shape, looking to take another step forward with his overall performance.
Turning into a legitimate two-way, all-around player will only help Caminero live up to the lofty expectations that come with being the No. 23-ranked player in the MLB.
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.