Red-hot Junior Caminero set for second Home Run Derby
Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero on Tuesday became the first slugger to commit to the 2026 T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 13, airing live on Netflix. After finishing as runner-up to Seattle's Cal Raleigh last year, the 22-year-old returns with unfinished business and a bat scorching the league.
Caminero announced his participation via social media, giving MLB its first confirmed participant for an event that also debuts a new swing-based format and its first Netflix broadcast. For readers tracking breakout sports moments alongside market-moving news, our Fintech & Crypto Alerts hub rounds up the trends worth watching.
Key Takeaways
- Junior Caminero is the first player officially confirmed for the July 13 derby in Philadelphia.
- He finished second to Cal Raleigh, 18-15, in the 2025 final at Truist Park in Atlanta.
- Caminero homered in four straight games with six long balls in that span, tied for fifth in MLB with 22 homers.
- MLB is dropping the timed format for 20-swing rounds in Round 1 and 15 swings in later rounds.
- A Caminero win would make him the youngest champion in derby history and Tampa Bay's first winner.
Why Is Junior Caminero Back for a Second Home Run Derby?
According to MLB.com, Caminero spent the past week treating nearly every at-bat like a personal derby. Fresh off being named American League Player of the Week, he hit .423 with seven homers, 15 RBIs, four doubles, and eight runs over seven games.
That stretch included his first career three-homer game against Kansas City and a career-long 463-foot blast at Tropicana Field. ESPN reported that Caminero is bringing his sweet swing back after last year's show with a multicolored bat captivated viewers before Raleigh edged him in the final.
He also has history on the line. Caminero would become the first Rays player to compete twice and, if he wins, the club's first champion. He would still qualify as the youngest winner at 23 years and eight days on July 13, surpassing Juan Gonzalez's 1993 mark.
What Changed About the 2026 Home Run Derby Format?
MLB is eliminating the clock that has governed the event since 2015. Each hitter receives 20 swings in Round 1, with the top four advancing based on home-run totals; longest homer distance breaks first-round ties.
Semifinals and the final use 15 swings per round. If a batter homers on his final allotted swing, he keeps swinging until he fails to go deep. There are no bonus rounds.
The shift coincides with Netflix replacing ESPN as the broadcaster for the first streaming-only derby. MLB framed the swing-based setup as better suited to Caminero's profile: fans want to see balls hit very hard and very far, not borderline takes.
How Dominant Has Caminero Been at the Plate?
Nicknamed La Maxima, Caminero leads the majors in average bat speed at 80 mph, a full tick above the second-ranked hitter, per MLB.com. Only three players have hit a ball harder and only three have hit one farther this season.
CBS Sports noted Caminero entered June 30 tied for fifth in baseball with 22 home runs, powered by six homers across a four-game streak. During his seven-game run, he became the first player with at least seven homers and 15 RBIs in a six-game span since Kyle Schwarber in June 2021.
His 2025 season finished with 45 home runs, and his derby debut featured 21 first-round blasts before he beat Byron Buxton in the semifinals. The stage is set for a rematch narrative if Cal Raleigh or another 2025 finalist joins the field.