TAMPA BAY — Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, 23, capped a dominant week with a viral moment Thursday when A’s reliever Luis Medina handed him a cup of water after Caminero sprinted to the left-field line chasing a foul ball near the Oakland bullpen during Tampa Bay’s 10-1 victory.
Caminero took the drink, tossed the cup aside and jogged back to third base — a lighthearted exchange that captured the personality of a player in the middle of a monster season.
“Hydration,” Caminero said. “It’s a long walk. That’s my game right there – getting funny.”
The moment came during a stretch in which Caminero has carried the Rays into the postseason. He hit his 40th home run last Friday on a walk-off blast that clinched a playoff berth, then delivered his second game-winning homer in a five-day span Tuesday to beat the A’s. He now has 41 home runs on the season with an .895 OPS, numbers that have made him a serious contender for the AL MVP Award.
Caminero’s combination of power and charisma has made him one of baseball’s most compelling players. At 23, he is among the youngest position players to reach 40 home runs in a season, and his willingness to entertain — even opponents — has only added to his profile as the Rays prepare for postseason play.