Junior Caminero has claimed the longest verified home run trot in the Statcast era, taking 40.65 seconds to circle the bases after a walk-off drive for the Rays on Sept. 15, 2026. In a game built on quick decisions, a few hitters have made room to admire the work.
Junior Caminero’s Record-Setting Home Run Trot Leads Statcast Era List
When the ball leaves the yard, the clock keeps running
Statcast has tracked home run trot times since 2015, offering a clean way to measure those moments when a hitter knows he got every bit of one. The ranking covers only home runs that stood without replay-related delays or other unusual interruptions.
Former Major League outfielder Carlos González once captured the feeling behind the slow stroll: when a player sends a ball a long way, it can be difficult not to watch its landing spot.
- Caminero’s 40.65-second trip around the bases is the slowest verified trot on the list.
- Nelson Cruz, at age 41, owns the second-longest time after a two-homer day for Minnesota in 2021.
- William Contreras, Josh Naylor and Caminero are the three players with multiple entries among the top 10.
- Walk-off homers, late-inning answers and milestone swings account for much of the list.
Caminero takes his time after another Rays walk-off
Caminero reached the top spot with his second walk-off homer in five days, though this one did not send Tampa Bay into the postseason. Facing the Athletics on Sept. 15, 2026, the 23-year-old turned around a 100.4 mph fastball from Elvis Alvarado and sent it toward the right-field line.
The ball curled inside the foul pole, and Caminero made certain it was fair before he began moving. He carried his bat along the first-base line, then finally eased into his circuit near the bag.
“Give me a moment, guys,” Caminero said afterward. “Let me enjoy this right here.”
He also appears at No. 10, after recording the first three-homer game of his Major League career against Kansas City on June 25, 2026. Caminero came up in the eighth inning looking for one more homer, with Royals shortstop Tyler Tolbert pitching during a 10-run game. After two strikes, Caminero lofted Tolbert’s eephus pitch into the left-field seats and took 35.49 seconds to make the trip.
The 10 longest Statcast-era home run trots
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Junior Caminero, Rays — 40.65 seconds, Sept. 15, 2026 vs. Athletics: A walk-off homer off Elvis Alvarado, hooked just fair down the right-field line.
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Nelson Cruz, Twins — 38.39 seconds, April 21, 2021 at Athletics: Cruz hit two homers one day after playing both ends of a doubleheader and being hit on the foot. His first trot lasted 34.56 seconds; the second, after a drive beyond center fielder Ramón Laureano’s reach, lasted longer.
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William Contreras, Brewers — 38.07 seconds, July 19, 2026 vs. Marlins: With Milwaukee two outs from a 1-0 defeat, Contreras crushed a hanging pitch from Pete Fairbanks for a three-run shot and a 3-1 Brewers win. He flung his bat upward and stretched his arms toward the sky before heading around the bases.
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Juan Soto, Yankees — 37.69 seconds, July 22, 2024 vs. Rays: A day after Tampa Bay outfielders Randy Arozarena and José Siri drew boos during deliberate trots at Yankee Stadium, Siri homered again and took his time. Soto answered with a 424-foot drive down the right-field line, waiting at the plate to see it stay fair.
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Anthony Santander, Orioles — 37.63 seconds, Sept. 19, 2024 vs. Giants: Santander’s 44-homer season included this 390-foot walk-off blast. He watched a hanging slider carry over the right-field wall beyond a leap from Mark Canha.
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Josh Naylor, Diamondbacks — 37.10 seconds, June 9, 2025 vs. Mariners: Arizona squandered a 4-0 ninth-inning lead before its bullpen held Seattle scoreless in the 10th and 11th. Naylor then ended it with a walk-off grand slam.
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Yandy Díaz, Rays — 35.94 seconds, Sept. 1, 2026 vs. Mets: Díaz had a 379-foot fly ball die at the bottom of the left-field wall in the fourth inning. In the sixth, he attacked Sean Manaea’s first-pitch sweeper and cleared the left-field seats to break the game open.
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William Contreras, Brewers — 35.74 seconds, June 14, 2025 vs. Cardinals: In a ninth inning featuring the Contreras brothers, Willson homered for St. Louis in the top half. William answered in the bottom of the inning with a homer of his own and a memorable slow lap.
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Josh Naylor, Guardians — 35.73 seconds, Sept. 19, 2022 vs. Twins: Naylor drilled a three-run first-inning homer off Sonny Gray’s hanging curveball, helping Cleveland roll to an 11-4 win as the club moved closer to the AL Central crown.
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Junior Caminero, Rays — 35.49 seconds, June 25, 2026 vs. Royals: His third homer of the night came against position-player pitcher Tyler Tolbert and gave Caminero another reason to savor the bases.
Heat, rivalry and the value of a slow lap
Soto’s explanation for his place on the list came with a grin. He said the hot weather made it a hard day and that he was trying to protect his hamstrings by going around the bases nice and easy.
That is the thread running through these trots. Cruz was an accomplished veteran playing through a sore foot. Santander had just delivered a walk-off. Naylor rescued Arizona with a grand slam and helped launch Cleveland toward a division title years earlier. The Contreras brothers turned one ninth inning into a family exchange of homers.
For Caminero, the top two moments came in a season when he kept making the kind of contact worth watching. Sometimes the hitter gets the best view in the ballpark, and Statcast now has the stopwatch to prove how long he stayed with it.
SEO Title: Junior Caminero Owns the Longest Home Run Trot in the Statcast Era
Meta Description: Junior Caminero’s 40.65-second walk-off home run trot for the Rays tops the Statcast-era list, with Nelson Cruz, Juan Soto, William Contreras and Josh Naylor also among the slowest.
