Rays' Star Slugger Ranked Among Best Players in Baseball for 2026

Which slugger from the Tampa Bay Rays has emerged as one of the best players in baseball?

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

As the Tampa Bay Rays get set for the start of the 2026 season, they are trying to find the balance between being competitive this season and also keeping an eye toward the future. 

So far this winter, the moves made by the Rays have reflected that mindset for the team. To start the offseason, Tampa Bay was aggressive and landed a few free agents that will help them for this coming year in areas of need. 

Following those signings came some moves that are geared more toward the future. The decision to trade both Shane Baz and Brandon Lowe was a move to improve the farm system of the team, with Jacob Melton being the only likely player to see action in the Majors in 2026. 

Finding this balance that Tampa Bay does is something that has historically worked well for them, and they will anxiously be awaiting getting their new stadium done in hopes of increasing payroll then. While whether or not they will be able to truly be a contender in 2026 is yet to be determined, they do have to be extremely happy about having one of the best young players in the Majors. 

Brian Murphy of MLB has recently been releasing the Top 100 players for the upcoming campaign. So far, the Rays have slugger Yandy Diaz making the list at 71. Furthermore, he will now be joined by emerging star Junior Caminero, who was ranked 39th. 

Caminero a Rising Star

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

While the 2025 campaign might not have resulted in a playoff appearance for the second straight season, it did result in the emergence of star slugger Junior Caminero. The talented third baseman put up some numbers that have rarely been seen for someone his age, and the future is extremely bright. 

Last year, he slashed .264/.311/.535 with 45 home runs and 110 RBI. At just 21 years old, those are some fantastic numbers, and he was one of the best sluggers in the American League. 

In the rankings, he was placed 39th after being unranked last year, and he is surrounded by some big names. Right behind him is the electric Chicago Cubs’ outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. Furthermore, former National League Cy Young award winner Chris Sale was one spot ahead of him. 

With some great names right around him in the rankings, the 2026 campaign is going to be an exciting one for Caminero. There is plenty of reason to believe that he could be even better this coming year, and that is an exciting thing to think about.