Junior Caminero will participate in the 2026 T-Mobile Home Run Derby during All-Star Week, the Rays announced Tuesday. The club shared the news before its series opener against the Royals.
Participating in the Derby gives Caminero a platform to showcase his power on one of baseball's biggest stages and reflects how quickly he has emerged as one of the game's premier young sluggers this season.
Caminero, 22, is in his fifth season with the Rays organization after joining the club in a November 2021 trade from the Guardians. He reached the big leagues in 2023 and developed into one of Tampa Bay's cornerstone players, earning his first All-Star selection in 2025.
Through 81 games this season, Caminero is batting .292 with a .384 on-base percentage, a .932 OPS, 22 home runs, and 49 RBIs. His production has placed him among the American League's top power hitters this season.
Caminero enters the Derby after one of the hottest stretches of his career. Over his last six games, he has hit seven home runs and driven in 15 runs, including a three-home run performance against the Royals on June 25 that tied the Rays' franchise record for home runs in a game.
That outburst pushed his season total past the 20-home run mark before the All-Star break for the first time in his career. He finished the 2025 season with 33 home runs in 151 games, and this year's pace puts him on track to surpass that total well before September.
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His recent surge has been fueled by more than power. Caminero has already drawn 47 walks this season after finishing with 41 in all of 2025, showing improved plate discipline to go with his ability to drive the ball.
The 22-year-old's production marks a significant jump from his first full big-league season in 2024, when he hit .249 with 19 home runs and 64 RBIs over 134 games. His OPS has climbed nearly 150 points since then, reflecting a more complete offensive approach to go with his raw power.
The Rays head into Tuesday on a four-game winning streak with a 48-33 record. Tampa Bay holds a 1.5-game lead over the Yankees atop the American League East as it pushes toward the second half of the season.
Caminero is expected to remain in the middle of Tampa Bay's lineup Tuesday night against Royals left-hander Noah Cameron at Kauffman Stadium. He will look to carry his power surge through the series before making his Home Run Derby debut during All-Star Week.
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