Junior Caminero had heard the noise before. Standing in the on-deck circle during Saturday’s American League Division Series opener at Tropicana Field, the Rays third baseman told manager Kevin Cash that the crowd brought him back to the World Baseball Classic in Miami.
That was useful preparation. Caminero and first baseman Jonathan Aranda arrived in this postseason with almost no Major League playoff experience, yet both played as though the October stage was familiar ground. Tampa Bay swept the Yankees in the ALDS, and its two World Baseball Classic alumni were central to the work.
Classic experience carrying into October
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Caminero represented the Dominican Republic in March and appeared in six World Baseball Classic games. He shared the tournament lead with three home runs while batting .350 with a .409 on-base percentage and an .850 slugging percentage.
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Aranda suited up for Mexico in four Classic games at Houston’s Daikin Park. He hit .357/.438/.643 and homered once during the tournament.
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Both entered the current postseason with only a brief taste of playoff baseball: Caminero had two career postseason plate appearances, while Aranda had one. Each came in the 2023 Wild Card Series against Texas.
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Against the Yankees, Caminero went 3-for-10, doubled and scored twice. Aranda supplied the deciding run in Game 1 with a 417-foot homer off Gerrit Cole, then added an RBI single in Wednesday’s clinching win. He finished the Division Series at .333/.385/.583.
Cash sees a direct connection
Cash believes the pressure-cooker crowds of the international tournament helped give both hitters a head start on handling October.
“I keep coming back to the WBC,” Cash said. “Those two would probably tell you that the environment there was as intense as anything they had experienced in their careers.”
The Dominican Republic played in Miami’s Pool D, where sellout crowds created a national-team atmosphere around a group that also included eventual champion Venezuela. Mexico drew strong support in Houston’s Pool B, particularly for its pool-play meeting with the United States.
Cash noted that Caminero and Aranda did more than simply take part in those games. They delivered for their countries when the stakes climbed, then carried that comfort into Tampa Bay’s first extended postseason run for each player.
“They really performed for their countries,” Cash said. “They were important to the success of the Dominican Republic and Mexico, with big hits and big at-bats. I think it helped them, and they were excited to have this chance in the Major League postseason.”
In the manager’s view, neither hitter has looked overwhelmed by the moment. The Yankees series provided the early evidence: Caminero’s quality contact and Aranda’s power gave the Rays a pair of young bats that did not need time to settle into the spotlight.
“The moment has not seemed too big for either one of them,” Cash said. “They had strong Division Series, and both have given us tremendous at-bats.”
