TAMPA, Fla. — Let’s be honest, there is no logical rationale to write this column.

We’re talking about two different players, two different eras, two different situations. Really, the only reason to compare Junior Caminero with Evan Longoria is the position they share and the familiar logo on their jerseys.

Also, this:

The abundant hope they brought to Tampa Bay.

The Rays have had All-Stars and fan favorites over the years, but Longoria is the closest thing we’ve seen to a genuine icon in a Tampa Bay dugout. He played more games, hit more home runs and quickened more pulses than any player before or since.

And now, 17 years after Longoria’s arrival, Caminero has a chance to match — or even exceed — the things Longo did in Tampa Bay. Nothing is guaranteed, of course, but the past few months have given us permission to at least imagine the possibility of a generational talent in our midst.

Their early numbers are strikingly similar, even if they are somewhat different types of players. Longoria, in 2008, was perhaps more polished as a hitter and certainly a better defender at third base. Caminero, in 2025, has a more dynamic bat and a slightly thicker frame.

In 448 at-bats, Longoria hit .272 with a .531 slugging percentage, 27 homers, 67 runs and 85 RBIs. Through 446 at-bats, Caminero was hitting .262 with a .529 slugging percentage, 33 homers, 68 runs and 81 RBIs. And while Longoria was technically a rookie and Caminero is not, Longo was nine months older at this point in 2008 than Caminero is now.

But you need to go beyond the statistics to understand the link that makes this comparison worth pondering:

The vast and giddy promise of potential.

“The talent is obvious, the bat speed is obvious,” Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said of Caminero. “When you have a skill set like this, you’re trying to get an understanding of just what the true ceiling can be. And a lot of that comes down to desire, work ethic and adjustability.

“And what we’ve seen from Junior in those areas has been top of scale, especially the adjustability.”

OK, so let’s consider those components.

Work ethic? The Rays told Caminero in the spring that his defense was lacking. While his bat was All-Star-worthy, he was going to need to put in more time with his glove to be the complete player he wanted to be.

Less than six months later, the difference is already noticeable. Manager Kevin Cash replaced Caminero on defense in the latter innings of 20 of his first 72 games this season. Since then, Caminero has been pulled from only two of 42 games.

Adjustability? There was a time when teams were pounding Caminero inside with two-seam fastballs. He adjusted. Pitchers began working him away, trying to get him to chase. Caminero started hitting more balls up the middle and to right field.

If you look at the top six home run hitters in the majors, only Aaron Judge goes the opposite way more than Caminero.

Desire? Caminero has not only been open to constructive criticism, he actively seeks it. For a player just a month past his 22nd birthday, Caminero is already thinking long term. He’s not just concerned about his stats in 2025 but is plotting what he needs to do to stay on top of his game in 2035.

“He has confidence in himself and his abilities, and there’s a good reason for that because there are few players who can swing the bat as fast as he can and make contact as often as he does,” Neander said. “A lot of that confidence is borne out of adjustability. He’ll go through a stretch where they might have been able to get him out by pitching him this way, and so he does what he needs to adjust.

“It’s that ability to learn, adapt, take feedback and instruction and to do it all as quickly as Junior does it that is remarkable to me. There’s no struggle, no approach that he’s faced that he can’t understand and adjust to very, very quickly.”

He’s not without flaw, of course. His aggressiveness at the plate is part of his game, but it keeps his walk total and on-base percentage lower than your typical MVP candidate. His body size could also be an issue as he gets older, particularly if it necessitates a shift to first base. His numbers might also be inflated because of the hitter-friendly environment at Steinbrenner Field.

But, at 22, those are concerns for down the road.

At the moment, Caminero is doing things that few players have accomplished at the start of their career. Going into Tuesday night’s game against the Athletics, Caminero was on pace to hit 44 home runs. The only player to have ever hit more at such a young age is Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews. Heck, even if he simply reaches 40 homers, Caminero would join Mathews, Mel Ott and Ronald Acuna Jr. on the list of players who were 21 or younger on July 1.

So, is it reasonable to compare Caminero to Longoria?

Longo spent 10 years in Tampa Bay and received MVP votes in six of those seasons. The Rays also made the playoffs in four of his first six seasons.

Not a bad place to start.

The question is, where will Junior Caminero finish?

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