Colin Cowherd had two targets in the same conversation: Major League Baseball’s old-school instincts and Junior Caminero’s long home run trot.
The discussion centered on one of the defining moments of the 2026 MLB postseason. Caminero blasted a two-run homer in the seventh inning of Game 6 of the ALCS, a swing that helped send Tampa Bay to the World Series. What followed became almost as memorable as the blast itself: a 38.66-second trip around the bases that included stops, flexes and plenty of emotion.
“I think baseball sometimes needs to lighten up, that is way over the top rounding first… I’m all for flexing, that was obnoxious.” - Colin Cowherd on Junior Caminero’s home run trot
Cowherd’s point landed in two parts. First, he argued that baseball should be more comfortable with players showing personality. Then he turned right around and said Caminero pushed the moment too far, especially when he paused and flexed near first base.
“I think baseball sometimes needs to lighten up,” Cowherd said while discussing the celebration. “That is way over the top rounding first. I’m all for flexing; that was obnoxious.”
And there’s at least a case for that view. Caminero’s trot was loaded with gestures: multiple stops, chest pounding, pointing and more before he finally crossed the plate. MLB said the 38.66-second jog was the second-slowest tracked since 2015, trailing another Caminero homer earlier this season.
Still, the moment wasn’t just some random regular-season flourish. It came in an elimination game, with Tampa Bay on the brink of the World Series, and the Rays eventually beat Cleveland 7-3 to win the ALCS in six games.
That context changes the read on it. Caminero looked overwhelmed by the size of the moment, and the celebration came off less like a shot at Cleveland and more like a player losing himself in the biggest blast of his career.
Cowherd’s broader complaint about baseball, though, is tougher to dismiss. MLB has spent years trying to live in two worlds at once: the tradition-heavy version of the sport and the more expressive game embraced by younger players. Bat flips, big reactions and elaborate home run celebrations are part of that reality now.
Caminero’s trot was over the top by old-school standards. It was also exactly the kind of reaction that makes postseason baseball feel alive.
He probably could have shaved a few seconds off the celebration. That doesn’t mean the moment deserved outrage. If anything, it showed why emotion can be a selling point for the sport: it gave fans a lasting image, fed the conversation and added another layer to Tampa Bay’s run to the World Series.
Cowherd may have called it obnoxious. Baseball, though, is clearly not going back to the buttoned-up version of itself.
In Other News...
Yankees Offseason Debate Could Change Everything For Rays Next Year
The Yankees offseason chatter is already drifting into one of the more intriguing subplots for the Rays, because what New York decides to do with its lineup could ripple well beyond the Bronx. Tampa Bay just swept the Yankees in the American League Division Series, and with Aaron Judge sidelined for the matchup, the contrast between the two clubs was impossible to miss as the postseason moved on.
Now there is speculation that New York may look to reshape its outfield mix and designated hitter usage in a big way. For a Rays team that has spent years navigating a division where every roster decision matters, any shift in the Yankees construction is worth watching closely, especially if it leads to a different kind of lineup alignment than the one Tampa Bay faced in October. [Read more 🡒]
Junior Caminero Just Gave Rays Fans A New October Debate
Junior Caminero gave Rays fans a moment they will not soon forget in Game 6 of the ALCS, and he did it in the kind of spot that turns a good postseason into a legendary one. The decisive swing helped Tampa Bay beat Cleveland 7-3 and punch its ticket to the World Series, with the rookie's impact instantly becoming part of the October conversation around a club that has spent the month building its identity on timely power and big innings.
Caminero's celebration drew almost as much attention as the homer itself, with baseball commentators split between admiration and eye-rolling over the length of the trot. For a Rays team now headed to face Milwaukee, it is the sort of flashpoint that can linger well beyond the final out, especially when a young player has just announced himself on one of the sport's biggest stages. [Read more 🡒]
How The Brewers Keep Building Winners Without Spending Like Contenders
Milwaukees rise has been built on a familiar formula for a small-market club, leaning hard on players it drafted and developed or brought in through international signings. Tampa Bay has taken a different road, assembling a postseason roster with far more trades and far less homegrown depth, even as both teams have managed to stay in the hunt without leaning on free agency. The contrast is part of what makes the Brewers such a useful comparison point for the Rays, since both clubs keep finding ways to contend without matching the spending habits of bigger markets.
For Tampa Bay, the reminder is less about payroll than about roster construction and how thin the margin can be when so much of the group comes from outside the system. Free agency has barely mattered for either clubs core, but the Rays path has been especially dependent on identifying the right pieces and fitting them together quickly. The unresolved question is whether that model can keep producing October-caliber teams when the talent pipeline looks different from Milwaukees and the margin for error stays so small. [Read more 🡒]