This Rays Star Slugger Has Drastically Improved One Key Stat to Start 2026
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After a breakout 2025 season driven by raw power, Tampa Bay Rays star third baseman Junior Caminero is showing signs of a more complete hitter in 2026 — thanks to improved plate discipline.
Caminero hit 45 home runs and drove in 110 runs last season for the Rays, earning an All-Star nod and receiving down-ballot American League MVP votes.
While his power was never in question, Caminero’s plate discipline remained a key area for growth during his 2025 campaign, despite the overall promise in his offensive profile.
The star third baseman displays elite bat speed and can hit nearly any pitch with authority. As a result, he swings very often, including at pitches outside of the zone.
Junior Caminero showing improvement with pitch selection
One of the key areas in which he struggled in 2025 was his chase rate.
That season, Caminero posted a 32.2% chase rate to go along with just a 6.3% walk rate, which resulted in a .311 on-base percentage.
Unlike last year, Caminero did not place lofty expectations on himself entering the 2026 season. Heading into 2025, his goal was to hit 30 home runs. Obviously, he far surpassed that number by hitting 45.
This year, however, his expectations are different.
"Continue to play hard. The only thing I say [is], ‘God, help me stay healthy, please, all year,” Caminero said on Opening Day, via Adam Berry of MLB.com. “If I want to help my team, I’ve got to go to cross the line, give my best 110% every day.”
Rays need to find protection for Junior Caminero
The new season is barely underway, but there has already been significant improvement in a couple of areas.
The most notable improvement so far is in his chase rate, which currently sits at 23% and ranks 43rd best among 202 MLB hitters. This suggests that Caminero has been more patient at the plate and is swinging at significantly fewer pitches outside the zone.
Through six games this season, Caminero has compiled a .407 on-base percentage. He has drawn six walks in 27 plate appearances, good for a 22.2% walk rate.
Caminero has also seen the second-lowest percentage of pitches in the strike zone at just 36.8%, trailing only Kerry Carpenter of the Detroit Tigers.
This is an extraordinary set of numbers for Junior Caminero:
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) April 3, 2026
1. He has seen the second-lowest % of pitches in the zone -- just 36.8%. (Kerry Carpenter is first)
2. He is 43rd best among 202 MLB hitters in chase rate, going after pitches outside the zone. (23%)
On Opening Day, Caminero didn’t see many pitches to hit from the Cardinals’ pitching staff. However, the slugger remained disciplined and avoided chasing pitches out of the zone, resulting in four walks. That total set a new career-high for him in a single game.
After the game, Rays manager Kevin Cash shared his thoughts on Caminero’s at-bats.
"Very proud and impressed by Cami,” Cash said, calling his at-bats "tremendous.”
While it is still very early in the season, this improvement could signal a more patient version of Caminero. That, in turn, can lead to a higher on-base percentage and more hittable pitches as one of the key bats in the heart of Tampa Bay’s lineup.
The Rays should be encouraged by Caminero’s improved discipline at the plate to start the 2026 season. If he continues to limit swings at pitches outside the zone, it will not only benefit him but also strengthen Tampa Bay’s offense overall.
