Junior Caminero finally earns high degree of respect in latest MLB.com article

MLB.com highlighted their top 100 players recently and (of course) Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge were atop the list. And deservedly so! This article will not be one to bash the writers for their favorite athletes. Actually, quite the opposite. We're going to praise them for giving respect to a beloved member of the Rays.

Junior Caminero jumps to No. 39 on latest Top 100 players list

The latest Top 100 players article came out recently and naturally; we scrolled to see if any Rays players made appearances. Of course, we expected at least a few and that's exactly what we got. Hey, maybe the MLB is starting to recognize the Rays as a respectable club! Nonetheless, alongside Caminero, 2023 AL batting champion Yandy Diaz made the cut as the No. 71 best player in the majors.

We love the acknowledgment of Yandy Diaz, but this Junior Caminero jump was astounding. Let's take a trip down memory lane to recognize the 22-year-old's incredible sophomore campaign. First of all, the young Dominican third baseman finished the 2025 season sixth in home run totals (45) and eighth in RBIs (110). By far the most productive Rays hitter last season, Caminero also hit an above-average .264 in 154 games. A season like this has Rays' fans wishing he didn't exceed his rookie limits in 2024 because Caminero likely would've outlasted the eventual AL Rookie of the Year, Nick Kurtz.

Regardless, it was a pleasure to watch a young Rays player leap into fandom so quickly, and hopefully for years to come in a Tampa Bay jersey. It's even more pleasurable to witness this recognition for his efforts among his peers. To put icing on the cake, another MLB.com article further singled out Junior Caminero's talents. A collaboration of MLB writers wrote about the next "top dawg" of the league aka the next "No. 1 Right Now". Shohei Ohtani was the clear No. 1 player in the major leagues right now according to the latest list (and he'll likely be in the same place next year), but it's always fun to speculate a potential "dark horse" candidate to dethrone the Japanese spectacle. Acclaimed writer Sarah Langs wrote a piece on Caminero as he was placed in the No. 2 position for dark horse candidates. If the 6'1 infielder can somehow take a step forward in 2026, then the sky is the limit for him moving forward.