Junior Caminero has already supplied the power numbers for Tampa Bay’s run to the postseason, and he is one start away from adding a durability mark that would put him in rare company. The Rays’ All-Star third baseman drove in his 101st run Saturday night with a first-inning homer during a 12-1 rout of Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park, then prepared for a chance to make his 162nd start at third base in Sunday’s regular-season finale.
Key takeaways
- Caminero hit a two-run home run against Aaron Nola for his 42nd homer of the season and 101st RBI.
- Tampa Bay’s victory was its 98th of the year and its 15th in the club’s last 21 games.
- He reached 40 homers on Sept. 11 with the first walk-off blast of his Major League career, a swing that secured the Rays’ postseason berth.
- A Sunday start would make Caminero the fourth player since 1969 to start all 162 games at third base.
- His second straight 40-homer, 100-RBI season has placed him alongside a small group of accomplished early-career sluggers.
A third baseman who keeps posting
If Caminero takes his usual spot at the hot corner against the Phillies, he will join Vinny Castilla with the 1998 Rockies, Cal Ripken Jr. with the 1997 Orioles and Sal Bando with the 1969 Athletics as the only players of the divisional era to open 162 games at third base in one season.
It would also put him among only four Rays to appear in all 162 games during a season. Evan Longoria did it in 2014, Delmon Young in 2007 and Aubrey Huff in 2003.
For teammates, the everyday availability carries as much weight as the production. Left fielder Chandler Simpson pointed to Caminero’s willingness to handle a demanding defensive position while remaining in the lineup day after day.
“That is the makeup of a real superstar,” Simpson said. “He has given us even more than that this season. He is an outstanding player, but he is also a great teammate and a good person.”
Veteran right-hander Nick Martinez viewed Caminero’s presence as part of the club’s standard. Martinez mentioned Taylor Walls, Victor Mesa Jr. and Simpson among the Rays who have battled through minor physical issues, with the third baseman’s daily readiness serving as an example.
“The strongest clubs have their best players out there every day,” Martinez said. “Junior has done that for us. He takes pride in being available for every game, and that helps establish a culture.”
Power production backed by better preparation
Caminero’s 42nd homer gave Tampa Bay another loud marker in a season that has made him a potential American League MVP candidate. The Rays have produced only three 40-homer, 100-RBI campaigns in franchise history: Carlos Peña’s 2007 season and Caminero’s two full seasons with the club.
He hit 45 home runs and drove in 110 while playing 154 games last year, but a persistent back problem affected him late in September. Manager Kevin Cash remembered seeing fatigue catch up to the young infielder during that stretch.
This year has looked different. Caminero has maintained extensive pregame work on both sides of the ball, and his defense at third has continued to sharpen as the season has moved along. Cash said the work began in the offseason, when Caminero made a point of avoiding the late-season fade that bothered him a year ago.
“He probably left last season feeling that and decided he would do everything possible to prevent it from happening again,” Cash said. “He put in a tremendous amount of work over the winter, then kept it going through a very good routine during the season.”
His place in the record book is growing with the workload. Since RBIs became an official statistic in 1920, Caminero is the 10th player to post more than one 40-homer, 100-RBI season within his first four Major League campaigns.
The other nine are Ralph Kiner, who had three from 1947 through 1949; Eddie Mathews, with three from 1953 through 1955; Chuck Klein; Troy Glaus; Albert Pujols; Ryan Howard; Nolan Arenado; Pete Alonso; and now Caminero.
He has also joined Peña, Fred McGriff, Huff and Longoria as the only Rays hitters to produce 100 RBIs in consecutive seasons. The numbers are already big. The final game offers Caminero one more chance to show just how complete this Tampa Bay season has been.
