Rays' Emerging Star Projected to Replicate Breakout Season in 2026

Will a young star of the Tampa Bay Rays being able to replicate a great season?

Sep 26, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) in the dugout during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays are getting set for pitchers and catchers to report soon, and all eyes will be on a budding star for the franchise. 

It was a challenging campaign for the Rays in 2025 after the roof was taken off their home stadium due to a Hurricane. Tampa Bay had to play in a minor league ballpark, and with it being outdoors in Florida during the summer, their schedule was also quite uneven. 

Even though the team did finish with a positive run differential, they were also eight games under the .500 mark at the end of the year. The Rays missed the playoffs for the second straight season, but it wasn’t a complete disaster. 

While the team obviously would have liked to make the postseason, they did see the emergence of a new young star for the team. Going forward, Tampa Bay will be hoping that their new star will be able to help lead them into a successful new era for the team. 

David Adler of MLB recently wrote about Rays star Junior Caminero being expected to have another very strong season based on recent Steamer projections. 

Caminero Expected to Replicate Excellent Year

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The emergence of Caminero was undoubtedly the biggest bright spot for the team in 2025. There were few players in baseball who were able to accomplish what he did from a power standpoint, and that is an encouraging sign going forward. 

Last season, he slashed .264/.311/.535 with 45 home runs and 110 RBI. At just 22 years old, those are some remarkable numbers, and the team has to be excited about what’s to come. While projections for the upcoming season are never perfect, Steamer does a good job of looking at what a player might be able to accomplish. 

The talented slugger for the Rays is projected to remain one of the best hitters in baseball, slashing .278/.330/.539 with 34 home runs in just a projected 119 games played. Tampa Bay will obviously be hoping that he plays in more games than that, and if he does, those numbers will only look better. 

It is certainly encouraging to see the slugging percentage above the .500 mark for Caminero, and if that holds true, he will be ready for another great campaign. The young slugger has the potential to be one of the best players in baseball, and the projections indicate he will have another strong year.