Rays' Star Slugger Could Get Even Better Following Breakout Campaign

Is a young talent on the Tampa Bay Rays going to get even better?

Sep 6, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of a Tampa Bay Rays hat and glove at Tropicana Field. | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

With the new year here for the Tampa Bay Rays, the team will be excited to get through the rest of the offseason and into 2026. Even though they have seen some significant changes already this winter, the future is bright for the Rays. 

While it has been an interesting offseason so far for Tampa Bay, this is a team that has been very creative so far this winter. The Rays have a desire to get back into playoff contention in 2026 but are also mindful of thinking about the future. With the payroll not expected to change much for Tampa Bay, it is critical for them to be able to have a strong farm system with cheap and controllable talent.

Recently, the team was fortunate to have one of their young players come up to the Majors and have a massive impact. The Rays are no strangers to having young stars emerge from their minor league system, but in 2025, a new superstar emerged. 

David Schoenfield of ESPN recently wrote about the one number for the Rays that could make or break their season in 2026, being 45. That was the number of home runs that emerging superstar Junior Caminero hit last year, and the future appears to be very bright for him. 

Caminero is Just Getting Started

John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The 2025 campaign was a fantastic one for the young slugger of Tampa Bay. Despite being just 21 years old, he was able to slash .264/.311/.535 with 45 home runs and 110 RBI. The power numbers that he was able to put up at his age were outstanding, and he has quickly emerged as one of the best young players in baseball. 

However, while Caminero might be one of the next big stars in the game, he was overshadowed a bit in the American League. With superstars like Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh putting up the types of numbers that they did in 2025, Caminero’s 45 home run season didn’t get as much attention as it likely should have for someone who was 21 years old. 

As Tampa Bay heads into 2026, much of their success could depend on their young star. Even though he had a fantastic season at just 21 years old, there is still reason to believe that he could get even better. If that ends up being the case, he could become an MVP candidate in the AL with the likes of Judge and Raleigh in the coming years.