Tampa Bay Rays star Junior Caminero remains in the AL MVP race, ranking second behind Yordan Alvarez in MLB.com's latest poll. Caminero is closing in on another 40-home run season while helping the Rays battle for the AL East title.
The Tampa Bay Rays best hitter continues to stay in the race for the American League's top award.
Third baseman Junior Caminero continues to have an excellent season at the plate. And it's not going unnoticed.
After finishing ninth in AL MVP voting last season, despite hitting 45 home runs, Caminero is doing it again. The 23-year-old is on pace for another 40-home-run season, as he currently sits at 35 as we prepare to head into the final month of the year.
And this season, that may be good enough for runner-up.
In the latest poll by MLB.com, Junior Caminero was a clear favorite for the second-place vote, behind only Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez for American League MVP.
"Though Caminero did not receive a first-place vote this time around, he winds up in second place for the second straight MVP poll because of high volume further down the ballot," says MLB writer Max Ralph. "The 23-year-old superstar has been the biggest producer amid the Rays' first-place push in the AL East, carrying a career-best .895 OPS with a vastly improved 11.8% walk rate. Not to mention he's closing in on his second consecutive 40-homer season."
It may be difficult for anyone, including Caminero, to catch Alvarez, as he is potentially going to take home the Triple Crown for the American League. He currently leads the junior circuit in batting average, home runs, and RBIs.
However, moving up from 9th to 2nd in one season, which, in fact, is only Caminero's second full season in the big leagues, is certainly something to pay attention to.
There is no question that the only way Caminero likely takes the top spot is if Alvarez takes a step backward and finds himself in a slump. However, this is a huge step in the right direction for the young slugger, who continues to show that he has what it takes to be a franchise cornerstone for years to come for Tampa Bay.
If Caminero finishes the season on a hot streak and helps the Rays hold off the Yankees and the Red Sox, who are both biting at the heels of the franchise heading into September for the AL East division lead, that could certainly carry some weight for the vote.
If the Tampa Bay franchise player finds himself once again close to or even over 45 home runs and once again around 100 RBIs on the season, it'll be hard to keep him away from first-place votes.
Regardless, there is no doubt that the future is certainly bright for Tampa Bay.
