It’s no secret Junior Caminero is without doubt one of the quickest rising stars in Main League Baseball.
The 23-year-old accomplished simply his third full season with the Tampa Bay Rays, serving to make them the very best mark within the American League with a 98-64 document. The Rays are again within the playoffs for the primary time because the 2023 season when Caminero made his MLB debut regardless of having rating twenty third in MLB payroll.
Caminero is coming off of his second consecutive MLB All-Star look after posting one other season of 40-plus house runs and 100-plus RBI’s. It’s his second consecutive 12 months notching such a season, turning into the primary participant in franchise historical past to perform the feat.
His closing stat line for the 2026 season? 42 house runs, 101 RBI’s, .276 batting common in 162 video games performed.
Whereas Caminero is clearly an AL MVP favourite — the Houston Astros‘ Yordan Alvarez is taken into account the favourite — he stated he’s not even fascinated about the award because the Rays start their postseason run. Tampa Bay raced out to a 1-0 ALDS lead over the New York Yankees this weekend.
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The Rays need to win their first World Collection in franchise historical past. Regardless of being an AL contender for plenty of years, Tampa Bay has by no means accomplished the deed. The Rays made their first World Collection look in 2008 solely to lose in 5 video games to the Philadelphia Phillies. They misplaced in six video games to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020.
Throughout Caminero’s rookie 12 months in 2023, they had been swept out of the Wild Card Collection. Caminero makes it clear it’ll be totally different this time round now that he has expertise underneath his belt within the playoffs.
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Rays Journey Drew Rasmussen’s Glorious Begin to 1-0 Collection Lead Over Yankees
The Rays acquired off to a dominant 1-0 begin by the stellar play of pitcher Drew Rasmussen. Rasmussen pitched eight innings and struck out 10 batters whereas permitting only one hit. The 31-year-old took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and set a franchise document together with his strikeouts.
“I believe my coronary heart charge was a hair increased tonight than it was [the last time],” Rasmussen stated. “I don’t suppose I known as a single pitch of my very own. I simply tried my finest to execute, in all honesty, no matter pitch Liam (Hicks) known as.”
The efficiency continued Rasmussen’s dominance over New York, as he has a 1.81 ERA in 11 profession outings (10 begins). It’s the bottom mark in opposition to New York previously 100 seasons.
Junior Caminero Groups With Mountain Dew as Baja Blast Champion
In the course of the begin of the MLB playoffs, Caminero — who’s an AL MVP candidate — is teaming up with Mountain Dew Baja Blast. The 23-year-old star was topped the Baja Blast Champion after crushing 21 house runs of a minimum of 420 ft. It was greater than some other MLB participant this season.
Each house run this season of a minimum of 420-plus ft was counted as a “Baja Blast.” Each time a qualifying house run was hit, followers may go on the official web site to assert a free Mountain Dew Baja Blast. This system will proceed via the postseason and the World Collection and the leaderboard will reset to crown a postseason champion.
Caminero stated the important thing to hitting large house runs will not be making an attempt and overthinking it.
“Let me let you know one thing — if I attempt to hit homers, I can’t,” stated Caminero. “Once I go to the house plate and I don’t attempt an excessive amount of, I hit it.”
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