ST. PETERSBURG — When the Rays first called up Junior Caminero last September, it came as a shock to many, including the then 20-year-old infielder, who said he was “kind of taken aback” by the unusual promotion from Double A to the major leagues.
This year, the timing of Caminero’s status was surprising in another sense: people were waiting for his arrival.
Caminero hoped to make the Opening Day roster, but the Rays instead sent him down two weeks before the end of spring training. He began the season in Triple A and his progress was further delayed by two left quad strains that sidelined him for two weeks in April and over six weeks from late May through July.
When Caminero completed a rehab program and returned to the Bulls on July 20, he came out swinging, posting a .304 batting average with five home runs – several notable for their length and exit velocity – and 10 RBIs in 19 games.
And with their offense faltering and their sixth consecutive playoff appearance at stake, the Rays decided after Monday’s loss that Caminero’s time had finally come.
He took it relatively calmly.
“I actually wasn’t really thinking about being called up,” he said Tuesday through team interpreter Manny Navarro. “For me, I was in Triple A at that point and those were my big leagues. That was my team. I was there to focus on that team and concentrate on that. …
“But now I’m here. I’m going to stay focused. I’m ready to get better. I’m ready to focus on what I’m doing now. Stay up here and hopefully keep working to do what I need to do.”
What Caminero — ranked the game’s second-best prospect by mlb.com and the third-best prospect by Baseball America — does really well is hit the ball really hard, regularly showing off his power and blistering exit velocity numbers; his first major league hit last September was a 112-mph single.
This season, he ranks second among minor league hitters in average exit velocity (93.3 mph) and hard hit rate (56.5%), according to Statcast. For comparison, Yandy Diaz leads the Rays at 92.4 mph and 49.6%. Caminero also has the second-hardest hit ball in Triple A (117.2 mph).
“It’s obvious, that’s his signature skill, right?” baseball operations president Erik Neander said Tuesday. “For a 21-year-old, he’s got a lot of really good skills. He’s a blue-chip talent. But when he hits the ball, that’s something special. … He can hit the ball to right field like a left-hander with a lot of power. So that’s the attraction. That’s what’s popping up on Twitter. Those are the clips that are the reason everyone wanted him here.”
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But, Neander said, his progress in other areas of his game was the reason why they waited until now to reinstate him, even though he was originally planned to play third base virtually every day.
“It’s our responsibility to make sure the way he organizes the strike zone, the frequency of contact, the defense, etc. is all OK,” Neander said. “They’re not on Twitter that much. … It’s on us to make sure the whole player is ready for a major league opportunity and to believe he’s in a position now where he can benefit the most from being here.”
How detailed was the timing for decision-making chosen?
Neander said they decided that once Caminero is back in action in Triple A, they would give him a few series and then start evaluating him. That was evident last weekend, including a 1-for-5 Saturday where the swings and at-bats were “really good” and then a 3-for-4 Sunday that included a 384-foot home run at 112.4 mph.
“It was like the timing was right. As right as it could be,” Neander said. “You wanted to give him the reps and make sure he had enough experience to come back from his injury. And then the timing is ideally when he’s feeling pretty good in the last couple of games in Triple A and should feel good after that. And we’re going to get through it here.”
Caminero also has an outgoing personality and presence and has the potential to be a star.
To clarify, his real name is Junior (because it sounds similar to his father’s name, Juan, according to a report by sportscaster Patrick Kinas in the Bulls’ game program). His nickname is La Maxima, which loosely translates to “the best.”
His favorite player in his youth was Alex Rodriguez and recently it has been Manny Machado, with whom he stays in touch and with whom he will trade jerseys against the Padres at the end of August.
Although Caminero wore No. 1 last year — “because I was the most promising young player, I made that up” — he switched back to No. 13, which both A-Rod and Machado wore.
And to further show his interest in baseball, he asked his parents to name his brother Girardi, who was nine years younger than him, after the then manager of the Yankees.
The Rays acquired Caminero in a trade from Cleveland in November 2021 after he signed for $225,000 and played just one season as an entry-level professional baseball player in the Dominican Summer League.
But the Rays are one of the few teams that scout the minor leagues intensively, and their work has certainly paid off in this case.
“Our pro scouts in the Dominican Republic raved about how advanced Caminero’s bat was compared to his teammates and how different the sound of the ball was when it bounced off his bat,” assistant general manager Kevin Ibach said Tuesday.
“After watching a lot of video, I wasn’t quite sure where he would land defensively, but it was hard not to be impressed with his pure bat speed, ball-handling skills and ability to make an impact on the baseball at such a young age.
“His composure in the box and his ability to slow down the game are truly remarkable for a teenager.”
Caminero gained the unexpected promotion last year because the Rays needed support on their way to the playoffs – some players were injured and others were struggling.
He put up big numbers when he moved from High-A Bowling Green to Double-A Montgomery: He hit .324 with 31 home runs, 94 RBIs and a .975 OPS in 117 games. He was passable in the major leagues: He hit .235 with one home run and seven RBIs in seven regular-season games.
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