By the end of the season, Caminero had established himself as not only the face of the Rays franchise but also one of the faces of Major League Baseball. He delivered clutch home run after clutch home run during Tampa Bay\u2019s late-season push toward the playoffs and came through on one of the biggest stages in October. <\/p>\n
In Game 6 of the ALCS, Caminero helped put the finishing touches on the Rays\u2019 victory with a massive home run off one of the game\u2019s premier relievers, Cade Smith.<\/p>\n
His emergence was about more than just the home runs, though. Caminero had officially arrived as a superstar, and he gave Tampa Bay the kind of middle-of-the-order presence that every championship-caliber team needs.<\/p>\n
While the lineup provided its fair share of fireworks, the true catalyst behind the Rays\u2019 World Series run was their pitching staff. <\/p>\n
Tampa Bay\u2019s arms were dominant throughout the season, finishing near the top of the league in the majority of major pitching categories related to run and hit prevention. They also issued fewer walks than any other team in baseball during the regular season, further highlighting the sound, fundamentally strong brand of baseball that has become synonymous with this organization.<\/p>\n