Tampa Bays Rays young slugger Junior Caminero is the latest to confirm his participation in the upcoming 2025 Home Run Derby. MLB announced the news on Wednesday, which means just two spots remain in the eight-player Derby field.
Caminero, who just turned 22 mere days ago, leads all major-league third baseman with 21 home runs this season. He’s slashing .252/.294/.496 in this, his second MLB season, and he’s not far removed from a 2023 campaign in which he hit 31 homers in 117 games across two minor-league levels.
Not surprisingly, Caminero hits the ball hard, as his max exit velocity of 116.5 mph is in 97th percentile among big-league hitters in 2025. And almost no one boasts better bat speed. Caminero’s average barrel speed of 78.0 mph is second only to that of his fellow Derby combatant Oneil Cruz.
