Junior Caminero quickly rose through Tampa Bay’s minor-league system in 2023, starting the season at High-A and finishing it in the major-league postseason. In between, he earned Southern League Most Valuable Player honors and drew in legions of fans who hope his elite bat speed and power profile will make him the next star in St. Petersburg. The rising 19-year-old also made his trading card debut in the 2023 Bowman set, giving him cards like this “1st Bowman” Chrome Prospects Autographs 1/1 Superfractor.
Few cards in the modern industry eclipse the prestige of a player’s “1st Bowman” Superfractor Auto. Caminero’s could only be found in hobby or home team advantage packs of 2023 Bowman and is the rarest among the 18 Refractor parallels to the Chrome Prospect Autographs. Collectors ripping into packs considered Caminero one of the most coveted prospects in the set.
The Cleveland Guardians originally signed Caminero from the Dominican Republic as a 16-year-old, but Tampa saw a hidden gem and acquired him in a trade in 2021. By the final week of the 2023 season, the Rays found themselves within striking distance of the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East Division and promoted Caminero from Double-A to help in their effort to chase down the division title. “I was ready to be home, ready to go home, ready to be there,” Caminero said. “Once I got the call and the news, I said, ‘Forget going home. Forget everything else.’” Caminero slugged his first home run on the final day of the regular season and served as a pinch-hitter in two games during the Wild Card series against Texas. With his desire for more big-league success, the Rays hope they will see much more in 2024.
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 11/30/2023.