| Junior Caminero | |
|---|---|
.png) Caminero with theLeones del Escogido in 2023 | |
| Tampa Bay Rays – No. 13 | |
| Infielder | |
| Born: (2003-07-05)July 5, 2003 (age 22) Santo Domingo,Dominican Republic | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 23, 2023, for the Tampa Bay Rays | |
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |
| Batting average | .260 |
| Home runs | 52 |
| Runs batted in | 135 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Junior Alberto Caminero Sánchez (born July 5, 2003) is a Dominican professionalbaseballinfielder for theTampa Bay Rays ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2023. In 2025, Caminero was named to his firstAll-Star game.
Caminero signed with theCleveland Indians as an international free agent on July 2, 2019.[1] He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[2] Caminero made his professional debut in 2021 with theRookie-levelDominican Summer League Indians andbatted .295 with ninehome runs and 33runs batted in (RBIs).[3]
Cleveland traded Caminero to theTampa Bay Rays for pitcherTobias Myers on November 19, 2021.[4] He began the 2022 season with theFlorida Complex League Rays.[5] Caminero was later promoted to theCharleston RiverDogs of theSingle-ACarolina League and batted .314 with 11 home runs and 51 RBIs in 62 games between the two teams.[6] After the season, he played for thePerth Heat of theAustralian Baseball League. In 39 games Junior had an avg of .303 with 14 HRs and was an instant fan favourite.[7]
Caminero was assigned to theHigh-ABowling Green Hot Rods at the start of the 2023 season.[8] He was promoted to theDouble-AMontgomery Biscuits after slashing .356/.409/.685 with 11 home runs, 32 RBI, and 30 runs scored in 36 games played with the Hot Rods.[9] Caminero was selected to play in the 2023All-Star Futures Game.[10] In 81 games for Montgomery, he hit .309/.373/.548 with 20 home runs and 62 RBI. On September 22, 2023, Caminero was selected to the40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[11] He made his MLB debut on September 23.[12] Caminero won the 2023Southern League Most Valuable Player Award and Top MLB Prospect Award for his performance with Montgomery.[13]
Caminero was optioned to the Triple–ADurham Bulls to begin the 2024 season.[14] He suffered a quad injury three games into Durham's season and spent the next two weeks on the injured list.[15] He suffered a more serious quad injury on May 28, 2024.[16] In 81 games for the Rays, he hit .248/.299/.424 with six home runs and 18 RBI.
Following the season, Caminero playedwinter league baseball for theLeones del Escogido of theDominican Professional Baseball League. In Game 7 of the championship series, Caminero hit a go-ahead home run offJairo Asencio, the closer of theTigres del Licey in the top of the ninth inning leading to a championship for Leones.[17]
On May 31, 2025, Caminero recorded two doubles, two home runs, and five RBIs against theHouston Astros in a 16–3 blowout win. He became the first player in Tampa Bay Rays history to record two doubles and two home runs in a single game.[18] On June 2, Caminero was named theAmerican League Player of the Week, co-winning withCal Raleigh for May 26 – June 1, a span in which he batted .379 (11–29) with 8 runs, 4 home runs, 13 RBIs, 8 extra base hits, and an OPS of 1.331. It was his first career Player of the Week Award.[19] Caminero was a contestant in the2025 MLB Home Run Derby, where he fell toCal Raleigh of theSeattle Mariners 18–15 in the final round.
Caminero ended his 2025 breakout season batting .264/.311/.535 with 45 home runs and 110 RBIs; he fell one home run shy of tyingCarlos Peña's single-season Rays record. Caminero also led the majors with 31double plays grounded into.