Rays Should Not Be Concerned About Road Struggles of Star Player

Should the Tampa Bay Rays be concerned about home/road splits of star player?

Aug 16, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; A Tampa Bay Rays helmet sits in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

With spring training now underway, the Tampa Bay Rays are getting prepared for the start of the regular season. As the team hopes to compete, a lot will fall on the shoulders of their emerging superstar. 

It was a busy offseason for the Rays this winter. With new ownership taking over, the team is entering a new era, and there is reason to be excited about the future. The new ownership group is working hard to get the team a new stadium, and that could help result in the team being able to compete financially with some of the best in the American League East. 

While that is going to be a few years away, the Rays have hopes of being competitive as well in 2026. Some of the moves this winter might not have indicated that desire, but this is a team that has to keep an eye on the future as well. However, as shown in 2025, they could have a young player break out and be on the edge of stardom. Last year, that was third baseman Junior Caminero. However, despite a ton of success, some are concerned about whether he will be able to replicate it. 

Will Caminero Ease Concerns About Home/Road Splits?

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

As such a young player, it does make sense that Caminero should have performed better at home than he did on the road in 2025. While George Steinbrenner Field was a bit more friendly to offenses, the travel schedule for the Rays was a struggle last year. 

When looking at the splits for the star third baseman, there is obviously a major difference. At home, Caminero slashed .313/.358/.595 with 22 home runs and 54 RBI. On the road, he slashed .218/.266/.477 with 23 home runs and 56 RBI. 

While the numbers do look much different, the one thing that the Rays can look at as a positive is the home runs. Caminero was able to have just as much power away from George Steinbrenner Field as he did there. 

Making contact and getting on base were major issues, but that could have more to do with him being 22 years old and trying to navigate playing a full season. Overall, the Rays shouldn’t be worried about his home/road splits. If there had been a significant dip in his power numbers, that would have been another story for the team to consider. However, he is still very young and improving, making contact and getting on base will be a goal for the talented slugger.