Junior Caminero

The Rays are known for slow-playing prospects, but not many hitters reach Double-A at 19 and proceed to hit 20 homers with a .309 average and a 17.1 K% over 81 games, but that's exactly what Caminero did. Tampa Bay rewarded the young slugger's exploits, jumping him over Triple-A for his big-league debut shortly after his 20th birthday and late enough in the season for him to enter this year rookie-eligible and therefore Prospect Promotion Incentive draft pick eligible. Caminero only had 26 batted-ball events but still managed a 112-mph max exit velocity, although his minor-league hard-hit data was already superlative, so that didn't shed new light. He hits missiles to all fields and can handle high-end velocity and spin. There's nothing to quibble with offensively, especially when projecting a couple years into the future, aside from the fact he probably won't contribute on the bases. Caminero enters the year eligible at third base (three games), but he also saw brief time at shortstop (two games) and second base (one game). It's always pretty crowded in Tampa Bay, but considering Taylor Walls, Osleivis Basabe and Jonathan Aranda all saw plenty of playing time down the stretch, there should be room for Caminero to carve out an everyday role.

Caminero broke out in 2022 in the sense that he validated those who kept him or targeted him in dynasty leagues, but his true breakout could come in 2023 in his first full season of affiliated ball. A 19-year-old physical specimen, Caminero proved to be too talented for lower-level pitching last season. He slashed .317/.384/.500 with a 15.9 percent strikeout rate and 11 home runs in 62 games between the Florida Complex League and Single-A. Caminero's 90th-percentile exit velocity is elite for his age, and his bat speed and explosiveness are noticeably different from that of most of his peers. He's the type of hitting prospect worth paying up on speculation.