Junior Caminero is taking on a more vocal leadership role for the Tampa Bay Rays, who lost 5-4 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday after building a 4-0 first-inning lead. The defeat left Tampa Bay trailing the World Series 2-0, with Game 3 scheduled for Monday night at Tropicana Field. Caminero addressed teammates during a dugout moment as the Rays tried to respond to the loss.
“I was trying to help the team, trying to keep their heads up,” Caminero said in Spanish. “Encouraging them.” The 23-year-old was also the only player to address the room during a hitters’ meeting ahead of the American League Championship Series. His willingness to speak has added another dimension to the way he leads the Rays.
Caminero is speaking up
Richie Palacios said Caminero has traditionally led through his performance. “Junior is a leader by example,” the Rays second baseman said. “He mostly just goes out there and does his thing. But what’s exciting is when he does open his mouth, it’s always useful, and it’s in the time that we need it.”
Palacios said the team did not ask Caminero to become a vocal leader. “When he spoke in that meeting, it was a little surprising but nice because he hasn’t been a vocal leader,” Palacios said. “We never asked him to do that. We have other guys that do that, but it just showed his love for the game and his love to win.” Rays hitting coach Chad Mottola said Caminero is using his voice more often.
“He’s always let his play talk, but we’re seeing him use his words a little bit more often,” Mottola said before Game 2. Caminero said the change has come naturally as he tries to help the team, including by sharing his thoughts despite the presence of veteran players.
“That has come to me naturally, trying to talk when it comes out of my heart to help the team as much as I can,” Caminero said. “Despite a lot of veterans being here, I try to be able to raise my hand and say, ‘Can I talk?’ And then I just share my thoughts with them.”
Production supports Caminero’s influence
Caminero’s voice carries added weight because of his production. He appeared in 162 games this season, one of seven major leaguers to do so, and hit 87 home runs over the past two seasons. That total ranked second in the majors behind Kyle Schwarber.
Caminero hit 45 home runs with a 130 wRC+ last season. This season, he hit 42 home runs with a 142 wRC+, tied for ninth in the majors. His batting average improved by 12 points from 2025, while his on-base percentage rose 49 points after he drew 38 more walks.
The Rays defeated the Cleveland Guardians in six games to reach their third Fall Classic in franchise history. Caminero hit a two-run home run off the foul pole in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series for his first career postseason home run. He is under team control through the 2030 season.
“The way he’s able to step up to this moment just turning 23, and now we’re going two years into it, is different,” Mottola said. “There’s some guys that play 10 years that take that long to get there. He’s doing all these things in the moment.”
Caminero has produced in the World Series
Caminero went 1-for-3 with a walk and hit a 112.7-mph line drive for a double in Game 1. He went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Game 2. The Rays scored two runs outside the first inning across 17 innings in the first two games.
Tampa Bay also committed miscues on defense and the basepaths in both defeats. The Rays need to play cleaner baseball and generate more offense against the Brewers to avoid falling into an 0-3 series deficit. Caminero’s expanding leadership role gives Tampa Bay another voice as it prepares for Game 3.
FSB Take
Caminero’s production and willingness to speak give the Rays a clear source of leadership as the World Series moves to Tropicana Field. The immediate challenge is broader than one player’s performance: Tampa Bay must correct its defensive and baserunning miscues while creating more offense after scoring only two runs outside the first inning across the opening 17 innings.
Source: Original report