Junior Caminero’s batting practice has already damaged two stadium fixtures. On Wednesday, he broke the scoreboard. On Thursday, he hit the FOX set. After launching 43 home runs this year so far, the Tampa Bay Rays’ 23-year-old slugger seems determined to bring that power to baseball’s biggest stage. And in doing so, Caminero came dangerously close to hitting the Fox commentary panel during batting practice ahead of Game 1.

If his pregame swings are any indication, the Fall Classic could be in for some serious fireworks from the young slugger.

“Junior Caminero hit a baseball so far during batting practice that it smoked the FOX Sports set in the back of the stadium,” MLB shared via X.

The FOX desk, which is anchored by Kevin Burkhardt alongside MLB legends Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, and Alex Rodriguez, is elevated in the stadium’s upper deck. Caminero’s towering home run ball flew straight into the studio setup, directly hitting the “FOX” microphone flag and narrowly missing the Commissioner’s Trophy and the commentators around.

So, launching a homer to the upper deck of American Family Field is no small feat, but it could have cost the FOX commentators dearly. Burkhardt later joked that Caminero tried to murder them.

Caminero, although, acknowledged the hit, and he signaled to the crews as if everything was fine. Just a day before, Caminero broke the center-field scoreboard at American Family Field.

During the Rays’ World Series workout on Thursday, the 23-year-old infielder launched a massive home run during batting practice that crashed directly into the electronic display. The impact was hard enough to physically damage and knock out a section of the scoreboard lights.

Caminero’s power display has already left its mark on American Family Field. The Brewers have their own power threats. Jackson Chourio proved it in June. His hit targeted a broadcaster camera during a game against the A’s.

Chourio squared up a pitch and absolutely annihilated a 442-foot solo home run deep into dead center field. The ball came off the bat at a blistering 108.9 mph exit velocity. It maintained a perfectly straight trajectory, flying directly at the center-field camera. The ball slammed directly into the camera setup, breaking the handle and splashing the viewfinder.

With both teams’ sluggers swinging for the fences, stadium equipment is at risk.

Taking out the scoreboard and FOX pregame set is the latest example of Caminero proving himself as one of the most dominant offensive forces in baseball during the 2026 MLB season. He became the first player in Rays franchise history to string together back-to-back seasons of 40+ home runs and 100+ RBIs (after blasting 45 HRs as a rookie in 2025).

Moreover, driven by the fastest average bat speed in MLB (79.4 mph), he finished 2nd in the American League in home runs and 3rd in RBIs. Compared to his breakout 2025, Caminero raised his batting average by 12 points and boosted his on-base percentage by an incredible 49 points, drawing 79 walks.

The Rays, though, need more than Caminero’s bat to take out the Brewers in the World Series.

The Rays need more than Caminero’s bat in the World Series

The Brewers’ rotation features elite starting pitching, headlined by ace Jacob Misiorowski. He can take his fastball up to an astonishing 105 mph. Defeating a starting staff that throws this much high-octane “heat” requires a collective team approach to drive up pitch counts. Relying on one batter to hit home runs will not be enough.

The Brewers swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS largely because of their relentless relief corps. Relievers like Aaron Ashby have put up dominant postseason metrics. It means the Rays face uphill battles in late-inning situations where a single player’s at-bat can easily be neutralized.

Also, with the Rays’ ace Shane McClanahan sidelined due to forearm soreness, the Rays’ pitching staff has zero room for error. The Rays’ defense and pitching must match Junior Caminero’s offense to counteract the depth of the Brewers’ offense, led by Jackson Chourio and William Contreras.

Nevertheless, with both the Rays and Brewers having big hitters in the lineup, it’s better if the commentators take adequate protection in the World Series.