Junior Caminero’s Power Surge: 11 Home Runs in 11 Games

Junior Caminero’s power surge moved into rare territory Friday night when the Tampa Bay Rays slugger homered again, giving him 11 home runs in his past 11 games.

Caminero’s latest blast came in Tampa Bay’s July 4 game against the Houston Astros in Houston. He went deep in his first at-bat against Astros starter Hunter Brown, a Statcast-projected 437-foot solo shot on a full-count slider with a 107.5 mph exit velocity, according to MLB’s game coverage. The home run pushed Caminero to 26 on the season.

The bigger significance is the pace of the streak itself. MLB reported that Caminero has hit 11 homers in 11 games dating to June 23, making him the first player with 11 or more home runs in an 11-game span since Kyle Schwarber in 2021.

That framing underscores that this is more than a short hot streak. Over the past two weeks, Caminero has produced one of the majors’ most concentrated power bursts in years, putting himself in company MLB says had not been reached since Schwarber’s run five years ago.

The stretch has included several standout milestones. On June 25 against Kansas City, Caminero hit three home runs and drove in six runs in a 13-2 Rays victory. Earlier in the run, he homered in six straight games, tying the Rays’ franchise record set by Carlos Peña from June 6-12, 2010.

MLB also reported during that six-game streak that Caminero was the youngest player since at least 1900 to homer in six consecutive games, another sign that his recent production has been notable not just within the Rays’ season, but in the broader historical record.

Caminero is no surprise breakout at this point. The Rays slugger emerged as one of the American League’s most dangerous young hitters in 2025, when he hit 45 home runs with 110 RBIs, made the All-Star team and earned All-MLB Second Team honors, according to his MLB player bio. MLB’s player page also lists him as the AL Player of the Month for June 2026, giving his current run a larger backdrop than one big week.

For Tampa Bay, the streak has combined production with a sense of disbelief. Manager Kevin Cash summed that up during the run in comments carried by MLB.com.

“It’s kind of amazing when you’ve got 25 other players in the dugout that are pretty much in awe, along with an entire coaching staff,” Cash said. “That means you’re doing some incredible things.”