MLB: Junior Caminero Joins 2025 Home Run Derby: “I’m Going to Put On a Show”

Tampa Bay Rays power-hitter Junior Caminero is officially stepping into the spotlight. The 22-year-old slugger, who leads all AL third basemen in home runs, has been added to the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby lineup and promises to bring fireworks.

"I'm going to try to put on a show just to give the fans the opportunity to get to know me, see my power," Caminero told reporters before Wednesday’s game against the Tigers — and he backed up the hype by crushing his 22nd homer of the season that very night.

Caminero is batting .254 with 58 RBIs over 87 games and continues to turn heads with his explosive swing and rising star power. He joins a stacked Derby roster that includes Ronald Acuña Jr., Cal Raleigh, James Wood, Byron Buxton, and Oneil Cruz — with two more sluggers yet to be announced.

He was also tapped to replace the injured Alex Bregman in the All-Star Game, making him the fourth Ray to ever compete in the Derby, alongside Longoria (2008), Peña (2009), and Arozarena (2023).

As Caminero steps onto baseball’s biggest summer stage in Atlanta, all eyes will be on the young phenom looking to make a national statement — and maybe launch a few moonshots in the process.