Chandler Simpson got from home to first in a blur. Junior Caminero took his time.
That contrast was on full display in the Rays’ American League Championship Series-clinching win on Monday, when both players delivered big moments that helped shape the outcome in very different ways. Simpson, one of baseball’s fastest men, dropped down a perfectly placed third-inning bunt, stretched the inning, and helped set up a run-scoring sacrifice fly. His trip to first took just 3.78 seconds, with a maximum sprint speed of 31.4 mph.
Caminero answered later with something far more leisurely. In the seventh inning, he launched a two-run homer off the left-field foul pole to give the Rays valuable insurance. The ball left the yard, but Caminero’s route around the bases was all his own - 13.23 seconds just to reach first, and 38.66 seconds to complete the full circuit back to the plate.
That leaves the obvious question: how many Simpson bunt singles fit inside one Caminero home run trot? The answer, apparently, is a little more than 10 - including 3.5 in the time it took Caminero simply to get to first.
Yes, it’s a goofy comparison. Yes, it works.
Rob Friedman, better known as the Pitching Ninja, turned the whole thing into a viral visual, stitching the two plays together in a clip that made the speed gap impossible to miss.
“How many Simpsons in a Caminero? 🤔”
“Chander Simpson (bunt) vs. Junior Caminero (home run trot). pic.twitter.com/Fh7RZX0IJO”
And if Caminero’s celebration looked especially unhurried, it fit a pattern. His 38.66-second jog was the second slowest tracked by Statcast since 2015, trailing only his own 40.65-second lap in September. That may not even top what he did after a walk-off homer to win the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League in January 2025.
In Other News...
Junior Caminero Just Gave Rays Fans A New October Debate
Junior Camineros seventh-inning blast in ALCS Game 6 was the kind of swing that can tilt a series and shift a clubhouses whole mood. The Rays needed a breakthrough against Cleveland, got one in a 7-3 win, and now have themselves a World Series date with the Milwaukee Brewers. For a young player who has been part of the franchises growing October identity, it was the sort of moment that can linger well beyond the box score.
What made the homer even more of a talking point was everything that followed it, because Camineros celebration quickly became part of the story too. Baseball has a long memory for postseason theatrics, and this one drew a split reaction from commentators who either loved the swagger or thought it went too far. In a month where every detail gets magnified, the Rays suddenly have a fresh debate attached to their newest October star. [Read more 🡒]
Erik Neanders Deadline Gamble Just Changed Everything For The Rays
Erik Neander has spent years building a reputation for leaning into the trade deadline when the moment calls for it, and this time the gamble paid off in a very visible way. The Rays push to the American League pennant added another layer to Neanders track record, recalling the kind of bold deadline swing that once brought Nelson Cruz to Tampa Bay and gave the club a needed jolt.
This one proved even more consequential. Freddy Peralta became a central figure in the postseason run, giving the Rays the kind of impact arm they needed when the games tightened and the stakes rose. The price to land him was significant, with Emilien Pitre, Aidan Smith and Gary Gill Hill all heading the other way, but the sort of move that can define a front office is rarely judged by the prospect package first. [Read more 🡒]
Rays World Series Run Is Stirring Up A Bigger Tampa Bay Debate
With the Rays on the cusp of their first World Series title, city leaders on both sides of Tampa Bay are already sketching out what a celebration would look like if next week ends with a championship. St. Petersburg and Tampa both want to be ready, and the planning reflects just how much this team still means across the region even as the long-term stadium picture continues to shift.
The timing only adds to the larger debate surrounding the franchises future. The Rays are still under contract at Tropicana Field for two more seasons, while the clubs new stadium in Tampa is slated to open in 2029, keeping attention fixed on where this team belongs even as it chases a title somewhere else. A parade would be a welcome problem to have, but it would also serve as another reminder that the Rays next chapter is still being written. [Read more 🡒]