2025 Fantasy Baseball: Junior Caminero Profile, Preview, Predictions

For fantasy drafters looking to catch a ride with the next big hitter in the majors, Junior Caminero will be profiling his bat many times over the next decade for the Tampa Bay Rays.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"

Junior Caminero sends this baseball into orbit to give Leones del Escogido the lead in the 9th! pic.twitter.com/4WXMy0PH1L
— MLB (@MLB) January 28, 2025

3B – Junior Caminero, TB (ADP – 101.7)

2025 Junior Caminero Hitting Stats Profile | Shawn Childs

The Guardians signed Caminero out of the Dominican Republic at age 15 in 2019. Tampa acquired him in a trade in 2021. Over four seasons in the minors, he hit .307 with 185 runs, 67 home runs, 217 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases over 1,079 at-bats. In 2023, his bat played well at High-A (.356/30/11/32/2) over 146 at-bats while thriving as well at AA (.309/55/20/62/3 over 314 at-bats).

Tampa gave him 34 at-bats of experience in the majors at age 19, leading to one home run and seven RBIs. His progression to the Rays suggested an early starting job in the majors in 2024. Unfortunately, Caminero suffered a quad issue in late March after not making Tampa’s opening-day roster.

Over his first 34 games at AAA, he hit .261 with 19 runs, eight home runs, 24 RBIs, and one stolen base over 138 at-bats. His quad issue reemerged on May 29th, leading to six weeks on the injured list. Tampa gave him another 19 games with the Durham Bulls (.304/14/5/10 over 70 at-bats) before calling him up in mid-August. Caminero finished with 165 at-bats with the Rays (.248/15/6/18/2).

His strikeout rate (21.5) was league average while showing more upside in the minors (18.4%). He projects to have an above-average walk rate (8.8 in the minors and 6.1 in his limited time with Tampa). In his professional career, Caminero has had a groundball-favoring swing path (50.3% in the majors – 51.9% at AAA). His HR/FB rate in 2023 (12.5%) and 2024 (12.2%) with the Rays was well below his potential and previous success in the minors. He didn’t have an edge in his exit velocity (89.7 mph) while showing more upside in his hard-hit rate (45.7) last season.

Fantasy Outlook: Caminero draws the “next young stud profile” in the early draft season based on his early ADP (101.1). The 60th-ranked hitter last season by FPGscore (0.58) was Alex Bregman (.260/79/26/75/3 over 581 at-bats). A fantasy drafter has to decide if Caminero can beat those stats in 2025 to be worth his simmering ADP. Based on talent and ceiling, he is the right kind of swing for a fantasy team. With a few more fly balls and an improved launch angle, Caminero has the tools to be a perennial 30-home run hitter with an edge in batting average. I’ve been burnt by investing in Tampa prospects in the past, but I also hit a home run in my rookie season in the NFBC when I drafted Miguel Cabrera in round 6. Don’t be shy, as his bat should be in top form in March, leading to a rise in his price point.

3B – Junior Caminero, TB (ADP – 101.7)

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