Tampa Bay Rays Rookie Junior Caminero Rockets First Career Hit in MLB Debut

Top prospect Junior Caminero started at designated hitter for the Tampa Bay Rays, blasting his first career hit 112.0 miles per hour.

Tampa Bay Rays rookie Junior Caminero made quite the first impression in his MLB debut on Saturday.

The 20-year-old third baseman started at designated hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays, becoming the second-youngest player in history to do so. Caminero was the No. 1 prospect in the Rays' farm system – as well as the No. 6 overall prospect in baseball – when he earned the call-up coming into the weekend.

Caminero did more than just start in his first taste of major league action, though, drawing a walk in his first-ever at-bat.

The next time Caminero came to the plate, he singled on a line drive to left. When he reached first base, Caminero pointed to his family in the crowd.

Caminero's first career hit had an exit velocity of 112.0 miles per hour. It is the third-fastest hit in the league so far Saturday, according to Statcast.

Junior gets his first knock in @mlb 🙌 pic.twitter.com/A42M0s6lv9

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 23, 2023

Caminero didn't come across to score either of his first two times aboard.

The Rays ended the fifth inning up 5-0, but the Blue Jays scratched across four runs in the top of the sixth thanks to two Tampa Bay errors. Caminero, meanwhile, could only watch from the dugout.

Caminero went 0-for-3 for the rest of the game, which the Rays went on to win 7-6. He legged out a potential double play ball in the ninth, and after a review ruled that he was safe at first, right fielder Josh Lowe walked it off for Tampa Bay.

In 223 career minor league games, Caminero hit .316 with 51 home runs, 78 RBI and a .938 OPS. The right-handed slugger – who appeared in the All-Star Futures Game earlier this summer – made the leap to the majors straight from Double-A Montgomery, skipping Triple-A entirely.

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