Tell the truth:
When the Rays put a runner on base in a 3-3 game in the eighth inning on Sunday in Anaheim, you were a little disappointed when you realized Junior Caminero was the next hitter.
It’s okay. You can admit it. And you don’t need to be ashamed.
Before hitting a two-run homer that set Tampa Bay on the path to an 8-3 win, Caminero had been less than stellar in similar situations this season. In fact, he was one of the least effective hitters in the league with runners in scoring position.
Going into Sunday’s games, there were 127 players with at least 50 at-bats with runners in scoring position. Caminero’s .172 batting average was tied for 120th. That sounds bad enough, but it’s even worse when you consider Caminero was hitting .302 in every other situation.
It’s a hard thing when you’ve lost your faith in your most dangerous bat. Particularly on a team that is last in the majors in home runs.
Does this mean that Caminero has a problem in clutch situations? Heck, no.
A year ago, he hit .270 with a .907 OPS with runners in scoring position. Those are not the numbers of a guy who shrinks in big moments. Heck, just go back to the World Baseball Classic this spring when he hit .350 with three home runs in 20 at-bats for the Dominican Republic. Fair to say, Caminero is not afraid of the spotlight.
Now, is it possible that he’s been pressing in 2026? That’s not a bad theory.
Not only is Caminero trying to live up to his massive 2025 season, but he also recognizes that the Rays have a below-average offense without his production. And that means he might be trying to do too much in high-leverage situations.
Opponents have also recognized that the Rays do not have a lot of potency once you get past Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda and Caminero. His walk rate with runners in scoring position was 16.9% going into Sunday. The league average was 11%, which gives you an idea of how teams are pitching around Caminero in clutch situations.
So you can look at his big home run in the eighth inning on Sunday in two ways:
No. 1, this is what the Rays can be when Caminero is on top of his game.
No. 2, the Rays are screwed if Sunday isn’t the norm going forward.
A year ago, Caminero hit 45 home runs and drove in 110 runs. Right now, he’s on pace to hit 36. Honestly, the Rays can live with that. Unfortunately, he’s on pace for 76 RBIs and that’s not going to cut it. Not on this team.
The hope is that Caminero is simply learning to adjust to seeing fewer fastballs and fewer pitches in the strike zone. If you take a step back and ignore the clutch numbers, Caminero actually has a higher OPS this season. His combined on-base percentage and slugging percentage is .858 compared to .846 last season.
The key is getting it done at big moments. So far, that has not been the case for Caminero in 2026.
Maybe his numbers with runners in scoring position are merely a fluke. A small sample size that is bound to even out.
The Rays had better hope so.
Otherwise, this offense is in trouble.
