News broke Monday evening that the Rays are recalling their top prospect, Junior Caminero, who was recently named the number one prospect in all of MLB by Just Baseball. Although Caminero had a brief stint with the Rays in 2023, this will be his first extended time in the major leagues at just 21 years old.
Our top prospect in MLB Junior Caminero is being called up by the Rays!
Despite battling injuries, Caminero has an .829 OPS with 13 home runs in 53 Triple-A games. pic.twitter.com/19il0DWrbQ
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) August 13, 2024
Our updated Top 100 Prospects List, released last week, saw Caminero ascend to the top spot, and just days later, he’s heading to Tampa. Caminero will join the Rays on Tuesday, aiming to make an impression as they look towards 2025, where he is expected to be a key player.
Hearing that top prospect Junior Caminero has been called up by #Rays, will join them Tuesday
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) August 13, 2024
Initially an impressive 18-year-old in the Dominican Summer League, Caminero was traded from Cleveland to Tampa after the 2021 season and quickly emerged as a top prospect in 2023. He finished last season with a .975 OPS and 31 home runs across High-A and Double-A, before making a brief appearance with the Rays.
Although he was a candidate to break camp with the Rays this spring, injuries delayed his call-up. Now fully healthy, Caminero has been performing well in Triple-A, slashing .276/.331/.498 with 13 home runs in 53 games this season, including a .304 average with five home runs in 19 games since returning from his second IL stint on July 20.
The ball simply flies off Junior Caminero’s bat🚀
108 mph oppo taco for the Rays top prospect!
— The Call Up | An MLB Prospect Podcast (@The_CallUpPod) August 5, 2024
With the Rays now 5.5 games out of a Wild Card spot and looking towards 2025, it’s time to let their young talent, including Caminero, shine. His rookie eligibility is an interesting factor, as he currently has 34 MLB at-bats and could lose his eligibility if he remains with Tampa for the rest of the year, potentially affecting his chances for the Rookie of the Year award in 2025.
Another day, more Junior Caminero raking!
3-hit night for the Rays top prospect pic.twitter.com/NI5VnbrFPt
— The Call Up | An MLB Prospect Podcast (@The_CallUpPod) August 7, 2024
However, Caminero’s talent is too significant to keep him in the minors any longer. With Isaac Paredes traded at the deadline, Caminero has a clear path to become the Rays’ third baseman of the future. He is poised to be one of the most exciting young players in MLB and is expected to make a strong impact in the season’s final stretch.
How in the world did this Junior Caminero swing result in a home run??? pic.twitter.com/gSLViWlfWN
— The Call Up | An MLB Prospect Podcast (@The_CallUpPod) August 2, 2024
