The Tampa Bay Rays didn’t panic when their season started slow. And they certainly didn’t panic when Wander Franco’s once-bright career turned dark. With Franco facing serious criminal charges in the Dominican Republic, the Rays have already found his replacement—not just on the field, but in the organization’s identity. His name is Junior Caminero.
A Team Rebounding from a Turbulent Start
At one point in May, the Rays dropped to five games below .500. Many wondered if their frugal approach to roster building had finally caught up to them. But as of late June, they’re 43-35, within reach of the Yankees in the AL East and currently holding the AL’s top Wild Card spot. Much of that resurgence has to do with the arrival of a new star at third base.
Caminero’s Emergence from Prospect to Powerhouse
Caminero first reached the majors as a teenager in 2023. By the following year, he had exhausted his rookie status in a 43-game sample. Now, in 2025, he’s taken a massive leap forward. CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson, who ranked Caminero as the No. 2 prospect in baseball before the 2024 season, pointed out the raw tools: a lightning-fast bat, elite exit velocities, and easy power. That projection is becoming a reality.
Caminero currently ranks third in the American League in home runs, fifth in extra-base hits, and seventh in total bases. His OPS+ sits 32 points above league average, and if his pace holds, he’s on track to join some scarce company: only three players—Mel Ott, Eddie Mathews, and Ronald Acuña Jr.—have ever hit 40 homers in a season at age 21 or younger.
Out-Homering History
Caminero’s chasing another quirky stat: out-homering his age by the All-Star break. At 21 years old, he’s just three homers shy of reaching 22 before the break. Only a handful of hitters—Jose Canseco, Cody Bellinger, Mathews, and Ott—have ever pulled it off at that age. Caminero has a real shot to join them.
The metrics back up the power. He leads MLB in average bat speed (78.0 mph), sits in the 80th percentile for exit velocity, and ranks in the top 3% in max exit velocity. His hard-hit and barrel rates suggest this isn’t a fluke. Caminero pulls the ball in the air at a 21.2% clip—one of the best indicators of elite power.
The Franco Fallout
Caminero’s rise couldn’t come at a more crucial moment. Wander Franco, once the face of the franchise, is facing disturbing allegations and a possible five-year prison sentence for sexual abuse of a minor. Prosecutors allege Franco paid the girl’s mother tens of thousands of dollars to facilitate the relationship. MLB placed Franco on administrative leave last year; he’s since been moved to the restricted list.
Likely, Franco will never play another MLB game. That’s left the Rays scrambling—not just for production, but for a new player to build around.
A New Face for the Future
Caminero isn’t perfect. He leads the majors in grounding into double plays, and still puts the ball on the ground too often. But the talent is undeniable, and the power is rare. At an age when most players are still in Double-A, Caminero is chasing 40-homer history in the middle of a playoff race.
The Rays may have lost one star, but they’ve already found another—and Junior Caminero looks ready to carry the torch.
Rays Have Already Found Wander Franco’s Replacement