New rule changes are coming to college football this season.

We already knew about the change to feigning injuries, the NCAA recognizing that players going down with fake injuries to build in extra timeouts was becoming far too common (looking at you, Lane Kiffin). A delay of game penalty (or a charged timeout if a team has timeouts remaining) will now be enforced if a player goes down with an injury after the ball has been spotted by officials. Said player must also sit out one down and has to receive the go-ahead from professional medical personnel before returning to action. It’s a welcome adjustment to the flow of the game.

But that’s hardly the only rule change we’ll see on the gridiron in 2025. Here are some of the other significant modifications to the rule book, which includes 14 total modifications.

• Timeouts in Extra Periods: If a game goes to overtime, teams will be allowed one timeout each in both the first and second overtime periods. But if the game goes to a third overtime and beyond, each team will only be allowed one more timeout for the remainder of the game. Media timeouts will only be allowed after the first and second overtimes.
• Instant Replay – Referee Announcement: After calls are reviewed, the phrase used by officials will no longer be whether the call is “confirmed” or “stands.” It will simply be “upheld” or “overturned.”
• Team Pre-Snap Movement: A defensive player within one yard of the line of scrimmage can no longer “make quick and abrupt or exaggerated actions” that are not part of normal movement in order to make the offense commit a foul. The same goes for offensive players.
• Defenseless Players: A player attempting to recover a losse ball is now considered a defenseless player.
• Substitution Fouls by the Defense after the Two-Minute Timeout: After the two-minute timeout, if a defense is flagged for 12 men on the field, the offense can elect to reset the clock.

All of those are interesting (and mostly welcome) rule changes, but the very final bullet point on the list of new changes was the one that stood out the most. If a player even thinks about pretending to use or even brandish a gun, they’ll be hit with an unsportsmanlike penalty. The finger guns will no longer be allowed.

“All forms of gun violence are not permitted in college football and simulating the firing of a weapon is an automatic unsportsmanlike foul. Added to the rule in 2025, if a player brandishes a weapon, it is considered an unsportsmanlike act.”

That language is more than likely going to be misinterpreted at some point in the season, but it’s undertsanable why it’s being incorporated. If you’re a real stickler for the rules, you can dive into the entire 2025 rule book for Division I college football here.

New rule changes are coming to college football this season.

We already knew about the change to feigning injuries, the NCAA recognizing that players going down with fake injuries to build in extra timeouts was becoming far too common (looking at you, Lane Kiffin). A delay of game penalty (or a charged timeout if a team has timeouts remaining) will now be enforced if a player goes down with an injury after the ball has been spotted by officials. Said player must also sit out one down and has to receive the go-ahead from professional medical personnel before returning to action. It’s a welcome adjustment to the flow of the game.

But that’s hardly the only rule change we’ll see on the gridiron in 2025. Here are some of the other significant modifications to the rule book, which includes 14 total modifications.

• Timeouts in Extra Periods: If a game goes to overtime, teams will be allowed one timeout each in both the first and second overtime periods. But if the game goes to a third overtime and beyond, each team will only be allowed one more timeout for the remainder of the game. Media timeouts will only be allowed after the first and second overtimes.
• Instant Replay – Referee Announcement: After calls are reviewed, the phrase used by officials will no longer be whether the call is “confirmed” or “stands.” It will simply be “upheld” or “overturned.”
• Team Pre-Snap Movement: A defensive player within one yard of the line of scrimmage can no longer “make quick and abrupt or exaggerated actions” that are not part of normal movement in order to make the offense commit a foul. The same goes for offensive players.
• Defenseless Players: A player attempting to recover a losse ball is now considered a defenseless player.
• Substitution Fouls by the Defense after the Two-Minute Timeout: After the two-minute timeout, if a defense is flagged for 12 men on the field, the offense can elect to reset the clock.

All of those are interesting (and mostly welcome) rule changes, but the very final bullet point on the list of new changes was the one that stood out the most. If a player even thinks about pretending to use or even brandish a gun, they’ll be hit with an unsportsmanlike penalty. The finger guns will no longer be allowed.

“All forms of gun violence are not permitted in college football and simulating the firing of a weapon is an automatic unsportsmanlike foul. Added to the rule in 2025, if a player brandishes a weapon, it is considered an unsportsmanlike act.”

That language is more than likely going to be misinterpreted at some point in the season, but it’s undertsanable why it’s being incorporated. If you’re a real stickler for the rules, you can dive into the entire 2025 rule book for Division I college football here.

While he might have Micah Parsons walking out the door, Jerry Jones is quite excited about the Dallas Cowboys’ return in the trade. The next two first-round picks of the Green Bay Packers, alongside defensive tackle Kenny Clark, are heading to Dallas. Some might question the compensation but Jones took time during a Thursday press conference to defend the deal.

“Not only do we immediately get a player but those draft picks could get us, I’m talking top, Pro Bowl-type players,” Jones said. “I’m talking could. You won’t necessarily get those players, you’ve got to draft them or acquire them. But they could get us as few as three or as many as five outstanding players. Now, not only do they contribute it a game that needs a lot of players on the field, not to be elementary, but they also give you better odds that a high percentage of them are going to be available. Just from the standpoint of attrition.”

Drafting is considered one of the team’s strengths in recent seasons, especially in the first round. Parsons was one of them, alongside the likes of CeeDee Lamb and Tyler Smith. Everyone in Dallas is hoping Tyler Booker turns into a big-time success as well. While a couple of picks did not fully pan out, the good shows up more often than the bad from Thursday nights.

Jones appears to be banking on being able to find similar talent and with multiple opportunities. Scoreboard watching the Packers will become a week-to-week process for the Cowboys and their fans — at least, more than usual.

At the same time, Jones did not rule out the possibility of using the newly acquired draft capital to improve this year’s team. If the Cowboys want to go out there and get a player, they will not be afraid to, according to Jones.

“Nothing says we can’t use those picks right now to go get somebody right now,” Jones said. “Don’t rule that out.”

Dallas’ season begins one week from Thursday, going up to Philadelphia for an NFC East showdown against the Eagles. A new Super Bowl banner will be unveiled at Lincoln Financial Field before officially flipping over to 2025. For the first time in over four years, Parsons will not be on the other side attempting to terrorize an Eagles quarterback. Preparation for the Detroit Lions begins for him instead, looking at Jared Goff.

While he might have Micah Parsons walking out the door, Jerry Jones is quite excited about the Dallas Cowboys’ return in the trade. The next two first-round picks of the Green Bay Packers, alongside defensive tackle Kenny Clark, are heading to Dallas. Some might question the compensation but Jones took time during a Thursday press conference to defend the deal.

“Not only do we immediately get a player but those draft picks could get us, I’m talking top, Pro Bowl-type players,” Jones said. “I’m talking could. You won’t necessarily get those players, you’ve got to draft them or acquire them. But they could get us as few as three or as many as five outstanding players. Now, not only do they contribute it a game that needs a lot of players on the field, not to be elementary, but they also give you better odds that a high percentage of them are going to be available. Just from the standpoint of attrition.”

Drafting is considered one of the team’s strengths in recent seasons, especially in the first round. Parsons was one of them, alongside the likes of CeeDee Lamb and Tyler Smith. Everyone in Dallas is hoping Tyler Booker turns into a big-time success as well. While a couple of picks did not fully pan out, the good shows up more often than the bad from Thursday nights.

Jones appears to be banking on being able to find similar talent and with multiple opportunities. Scoreboard watching the Packers will become a week-to-week process for the Cowboys and their fans — at least, more than usual.

At the same time, Jones did not rule out the possibility of using the newly acquired draft capital to improve this year’s team. If the Cowboys want to go out there and get a player, they will not be afraid to, according to Jones.

“Nothing says we can’t use those picks right now to go get somebody right now,” Jones said. “Don’t rule that out.”

Dallas’ season begins one week from Thursday, going up to Philadelphia for an NFC East showdown against the Eagles. A new Super Bowl banner will be unveiled at Lincoln Financial Field before officially flipping over to 2025. For the first time in over four years, Parsons will not be on the other side attempting to terrorize an Eagles quarterback. Preparation for the Detroit Lions begins for him instead, looking at Jared Goff.

While he might have Micah Parsons walking out the door, Jerry Jones is quite excited about the Dallas Cowboys’ return in the trade. The next two first-round picks of the Green Bay Packers, alongside defensive tackle Kenny Clark, are heading to Dallas. Some might question the compensation but Jones took time during a Thursday press conference to defend the deal.

“Not only do we immediately get a player but those draft picks could get us, I’m talking top, Pro Bowl-type players,” Jones said. “I’m talking could. You won’t necessarily get those players, you’ve got to draft them or acquire them. But they could get us as few as three or as many as five outstanding players. Now, not only do they contribute it a game that needs a lot of players on the field, not to be elementary, but they also give you better odds that a high percentage of them are going to be available. Just from the standpoint of attrition.”

Drafting is considered one of the team’s strengths in recent seasons, especially in the first round. Parsons was one of them, alongside the likes of CeeDee Lamb and Tyler Smith. Everyone in Dallas is hoping Tyler Booker turns into a big-time success as well. While a couple of picks did not fully pan out, the good shows up more often than the bad from Thursday nights.

Jones appears to be banking on being able to find similar talent and with multiple opportunities. Scoreboard watching the Packers will become a week-to-week process for the Cowboys and their fans — at least, more than usual.

At the same time, Jones did not rule out the possibility of using the newly acquired draft capital to improve this year’s team. If the Cowboys want to go out there and get a player, they will not be afraid to, according to Jones.

“Nothing says we can’t use those picks right now to go get somebody right now,” Jones said. “Don’t rule that out.”

Dallas’ season begins one week from Thursday, going up to Philadelphia for an NFC East showdown against the Eagles. A new Super Bowl banner will be unveiled at Lincoln Financial Field before officially flipping over to 2025. For the first time in over four years, Parsons will not be on the other side attempting to terrorize an Eagles quarterback. Preparation for the Detroit Lions begins for him instead, looking at Jared Goff.

Tylor Megill completed an uneven start with Triple-A on Thursday night, but showed some resiliency by pitching four innings for Syracuse.

After a clean first inning, Megill came out for the second with a hefty 8-0 lead against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. However, the Mets right-hander was rudely welcomed by a solo shot from Jose Rojas. The big right-hander then walked three straight batters to load the bases with no outs. Megill almost got out of the jam when he struck out Andrew Velazaquez and Spencer Jones back-to-back, but a walk to J.C. Escarra and a single to Brennen Davis drove in two runs. But that would be all the runs allowed by Megill as he got T.J. Rumfield to fly out to end the inning.

Megill would allow just one more hit in his final two innings as he gutted through four innings. 

Tossing 70 pitches (42 strikes), Megill allowed three runs on four hits, four walks while striking out four hitters. 

Thursday was Megill’s fourth rehab start, second with Syracuse, and this is the first time the right-hander has allowed a run. In his four outings, Megill has allowed three total runs across 14 innings pitched. He’s struck out 21 batters in that span. In his last start with Triple-A, Megill allowed just one hit and walked one batter across five shutout innings. 

It’s unclear what the next steps are for Megill after his latest rehab start, but with the rosters expanding on Sept. 1, Megill could be a candidate to rejoin the Mets in the starting rotation or bullpen.

CLEVELAND — Junior Caminero remembers his first home run.

At just 22 years old, the Rays’ third baseman has already asserted himself as one of the premier power hitters at the highest level of the sport. But his generational slugging prowess didn’t manifest overnight.

“I was 10 or 11,” Caminero told Yahoo Sports through team interpreter Eddie Rodriguez. “It was a Little League tournament at a park called the Olímpico.”

Like many who grew up in the Dominican Republic, Caminero’s dreams of becoming a major-league ballplayer started young. And on this particular day at a ballfield in the heart of the island nation’s capital city, Santo Domingo, one swing sparked a supercharged journey to big-league stardom.

The opposing team was from the nearby neighborhood of La Javilla. The pitcher was a lefty. The outfield fences were about 250 feet away from home plate. Caminero crushed one over the wall — the first of many.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]

In the decade or so since, his catalogue of demolished baseballs has expanded exponentially. At every stop along his baseball journey, Caminero has demonstrated a remarkable ability to clear the fence. And now, as he prepares to enter the final month of his first full major-league season, home run history is already within reach.

On Monday in Cleveland, facing the organization that signed him as an amateur before trading him away in one of the more ill-fated transactions in recent memory, Caminero launched his 38th and 39th home runs of 2025. Just three players in MLB history have hit 40 home runs in their age-21 season or younger (defined as a player’s age on June 30; Caminero turned 22 on July 5): Eddie Mathews (47 in 1953), Mel Ott (42 in 1929) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (41 in 2019). With 29 games remaining, Caminero is on track to become the fourth, with a chance to surpass Mathews for the most homers ever in a season by a player so young.

“There’s just not many people in this game that can consistently impact the ball as hard as he can,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said in Cleveland, just hours before Caminero’s latest long balls. “And the harder you hit it, the better chance you’re gonna have success.”

In a sense, Caminero’s early-career accomplishments are rooted in that simple reality. But his path to this point, while certainly expedited, was anything but straightforward.

‘Maybe we should pay a little bit more attention to this kid’

As an amateur, Caminero did not notably stand out from his peers. While high-profile prospects such as Jasson Dominguez secured bonuses north of $5 million, Caminero ranked nowhere near the top of his signing class when he agreed to a deal with Cleveland worth $87,500 in July 2019, just days before his 16th birthday.

Normally, international signees debut the following year in the Dominican Summer League, but the pandemic erased that opportunity in 2020. For Caminero, it was a blessing in disguise, as the canceled season afforded him an additional year to get stronger in preparation for the rigors of professional baseball. Reflecting back now, he calls the delayed start to his career “the best thing that happened to me.”

“Prior to that, I don’t think I had the power that I had,” he said. “If I would have played that season [in 2020], I would have probably hit maybe five [home runs].”

Instead, once his pro debut arrived in 2021, Caminero was in much better position to succeed. His nine home runs in 43 games ranked second in the DSL, and the earliest renditions of his electric swing were on regular display, seizing the attention of scouts who previously knew little about him. With that, he quickly jumped on the radar as one of Cleveland’s more intriguing lower-level prospects

But then, just a few months after completing his first pro season, Caminero was traded to the Rays in exchange for pitching prospect Tobias Myers, who was coming off a strong season in the upper minors. It was hardly considered a blockbuster; rather, it was a minor swap between two clubs managing their 40-man rosters at the outset of the offseason, exchanging a teenage lottery ticket for a pitcher who projected to contribute at the big-league level in the near future.

As it turned out, however, Myers never made it to the majors with Cleveland and bounced around a couple more teams before finding a home with Milwaukee. Meanwhile, it didn’t take long for the Rays to realize they’d struck gold.

Caminero’s stateside debut in 2022 was eye-opening. He mashed his way to Low-A Charleston, where he was one of the youngest players at the level. Wanting to challenge him and sustain his developmental momentum, the Rays suggested his season continue further — and farther away — than Caminero ever could’ve imagined. The organization wanted the 19-year-old to spend part of the winter playing for the Perth Heat of the Australian Baseball League, a team that has hosted several Rays prospects in recent years.

“When they told me for the first time, I thought about it, I was like, ‘No, I’m not gonna go there. It’s too far. I’m gonna be away from my family,’” Caminero said. But after some convincing from his agent, Rafa Nieves, Caminero understood the opportunity and agreed.

“He was like, ‘If you go there and you put the work in, you’re gonna remember that time there,’” Caminero recalled. “And that’s what happened.”

While the competition in Australia isn’t as grueling as in the winter leagues in Latin America, the unique setting on the other side of the globe tested more than just Caminero’s on-field ability. Most crucially, it was a chance for him to demonstrate the maturity and confidence necessary to thrive in an unfamiliar environment, which he did with aplomb.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that he also demolished said competition, smashing 14 home runs in 39 games for Perth and continuing the homer-heavy theme of his burgeoning career.

By the time Caminero returned to the northern hemisphere for spring training in 2023, he was no longer a hidden gem.

“I remember watching him when he came over for a game against Minnesota up in Fort Myers,” Rays bench coach Rodney Linares recalled. “He hit BP, and he was hitting the ball, just peppering the center-field wall. I was like, ‘Oh, maybe we should pay a little bit more attention to this kid.’”

Another 31 home runs later across High-A and Double-A, and Caminero arrived, making his major-league debut for Tampa Bay at the end of September at age 20.

[Get more Tampa Bay news: Rays team feed]

‘Sky’s the limit for the kid’

A highly anticipated rookie season appeared to be on deck in 2024, but Caminero was optioned to Triple-A to start the year, and then his return to the majors was delayed further by a quad injury that cost him all of June. He showed glimpses of greatness in the second half, but the true breakout began after the season, when Caminero starred in the Dominican Winter League. His epic run was punctuated by a breathtaking, game-winning home run that clinched the championship for Leones del Escogido, the team he grew up cheering for.

With nothing left to prove in the minors, a brief taste of big-league success and newfound stardom from his winter league heroics, Caminero entered 2025 eager to ascend further.

“I feel that I belong here,” he said of his mindset going into this season. “When I had my debut in ‘23, there was a lot of pressure. And last year, I came midseason, too. So this year, having that confidence since the beginning of the season, knowing that I was going to be here and that I was going to be playing, that has been huge for me.”

And the results have been tremendous. A big first half earned Caminero an invite to the All-Star Game and a spot in the Home Run Derby, where he put on an absolute show before falling in the finals to Cal Raleigh.

“He has that charisma that people are drawn to,” Linares said. “He is great with fans. The moment doesn’t get too big for him. … Sky’s the limit for the kid.”

Since the break, Caminero’s power production has only increased. With a few days left to go, he has hit an astounding dozen homers in August alone.

“I knew he had this in him,” said fellow 22-year-old infielder Carson Williams, who recently joined Caminero in the big leagues after being teammates at multiple levels in the minors. “I mean, he was the best hitter I’ve ever seen … I told everybody: He’s gonna be so special.”

A work in progress on defense

Caminero’s rare combination of bat speed and barrel control enables an elite level of slugging without an overwhelming amount of whiffs. Only Giancarlo Stanton and Oneil Cruz swing the bat faster on average than Caminero, and while Stanton and Cruz both carry strikeout rates north of 30%, Caminero’s hovers around 20%.

That’s not to say Caminero’s offensive game is flawless. While his bat-to-ball skills and plate coverage suppress the strikeout totals, Caminero rarely draws walks, and his proclivity to chase pitches outside the zone often yields weak contact, hampering his ability to reach base with frequency; his .299 on-base percentage ranks 128th out of 153 qualified hitters. Developing his plate discipline is the most obvious area for growth as Caminero progresses, but the fact that he has been able to produce to this degree while employing a hyper-aggressive approach is a testament to his talent.

And even more encouraging than Caminero’s performance at the plate have been the strides made with his glove. Early in his professional career, Caminero was regarded as an extremely poor defender who looked uncomfortable and uncoordinated in the infield. With every rave review about his bat came a host of questions and concerns regarding his glove and where it would fit at the major-league level, casting doubt on his ultimate potential as a player.

Driven by that skepticism, Caminero has worked diligently with infield coach Brady Williams to overcome those longstanding concerns. And after rating notably poorly at third base over the first two months of 2025, Caminero has graded out as a plus defender since the start of June.

“I really applaud Cami for the effort, certainly at the plate, and the work that he does behind the scenes in the cage, but he’s done just as much, if not more, on defense,” Cash said. “I’ve seen a guy that’s more confident with his reads on ground balls, when to drop step, when to come get the ball. He’s worked on his throwing accuracy. By no means am I saying he’s a finished product, but he is working with that goal in mind.

“He wants to be an elite player on both sides of the ball.”

‘He does not want to be good — he wants to be great’

For all he has already shown, Caminero knows how much better he can still get. With his supreme talent comes a profound respect and admiration for those who came before him, players whose greatness over a prolonged period serve as an example worth striving for. He wears No. 13 to honor Manny Machado, his favorite player growing up and one who also reached the big leagues at an incredibly young age and starred immediately. When Machado’s Padres were in Tampa last year, Linares, who managed Machado on Team Dominican Republic in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, made sure the two connected.

“[Caminero] came up to me when we played San Diego … and he was like, ‘Hey, you managed Machado … how is he?’” Linares recalled. “As soon as I saw [Machado], I was like, ‘Hey, this kid, he’s the next big thing coming up.’ And they talked, and they formed a really good relationship.”

It was an emotional reunion for Caminero, who had met Machado as a kid in Baltimore back in 2014, around the same time he hit that first home run at the Olímpico. Machado embodies the kind of all-around superstar Caminero wants to become. At the same time, this fact puts what Caminero has achieved this season into perspective: Machado, with 363 career home runs, has never hit more than 37 in a season. Caminero has 39 before September.

“It feels good,” Caminero said when asked what it means to have already accomplished something that his Hall of Fame-bound hero never has. “But he’s a legend. I want to emulate him.”

And so, not yet satisfied, Caminero forges ahead. Forming relationships with veterans such as Machado has only added to his motivation to maximize his potential in hopes that he can one day be the one passing down wisdom to the next generation.

“To continue to have those conversations that I have with Machado, Aaron Judge, Jose Ramirez … All those good things that they’ve told me, just continue to put that in perspective and practice so I can be what they are for me right now … for other players in the future.”

Inspiring others remains a long-term goal. For now, Caminero is locked in on his own ambitions.

“He realizes the opportunity that he has and the ability that he has, and he’s put in a lot of work,” Linares said. “He does not want to be good — he wants to be great.”

CLEVELAND — Junior Caminero remembers his first home run.

At just 22 years old, the Rays’ third baseman has already asserted himself as one of the premier power hitters at the highest level of the sport. But his generational slugging prowess didn’t manifest overnight.

“I was 10 or 11,” Caminero told Yahoo Sports through team interpreter Eddie Rodriguez. “It was a Little League tournament at a park called the Olímpico.”

Like many who grew up in the Dominican Republic, Caminero’s dreams of becoming a major-league ballplayer started young. And on this particular day at a ballfield in the heart of the island nation’s capital city, Santo Domingo, one swing sparked a supercharged journey to big-league stardom.

The opposing team was from the nearby neighborhood of La Javilla. The pitcher was a lefty. The outfield fences were about 250 feet away from home plate. Caminero crushed one over the wall — the first of many.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]

In the decade or so since, his catalogue of demolished baseballs has expanded exponentially. At every stop along his baseball journey, Caminero has demonstrated a remarkable ability to clear the fence. And now, as he prepares to enter the final month of his first full major-league season, home run history is already within reach.

On Monday in Cleveland, facing the organization that signed him as an amateur before trading him away in one of the more ill-fated transactions in recent memory, Caminero launched his 38th and 39th home runs of 2025. Just three players in MLB history have hit 40 home runs in their age-21 season or younger (defined as a player’s age on June 30; Caminero turned 22 on July 5): Eddie Mathews (47 in 1953), Mel Ott (42 in 1929) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (41 in 2019). With 29 games remaining, Caminero is on track to become the fourth, with a chance to surpass Mathews for the most homers ever in a season by a player so young.

“There’s just not many people in this game that can consistently impact the ball as hard as he can,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said in Cleveland, just hours before Caminero’s latest long balls. “And the harder you hit it, the better chance you’re gonna have success.”

In a sense, Caminero’s early-career accomplishments are rooted in that simple reality. But his path to this point, while certainly expedited, was anything but straightforward.

‘Maybe we should pay a little bit more attention to this kid’

As an amateur, Caminero did not notably stand out from his peers. While high-profile prospects such as Jasson Dominguez secured bonuses north of $5 million, Caminero ranked nowhere near the top of his signing class when he agreed to a deal with Cleveland worth $87,500 in July 2019, just days before his 16th birthday.

Normally, international signees debut the following year in the Dominican Summer League, but the pandemic erased that opportunity in 2020. For Caminero, it was a blessing in disguise, as the canceled season afforded him an additional year to get stronger in preparation for the rigors of professional baseball. Reflecting back now, he calls the delayed start to his career “the best thing that happened to me.”

“Prior to that, I don’t think I had the power that I had,” he said. “If I would have played that season [in 2020], I would have probably hit maybe five [home runs].”

Instead, once his pro debut arrived in 2021, Caminero was in much better position to succeed. His nine home runs in 43 games ranked second in the DSL, and the earliest renditions of his electric swing were on regular display, seizing the attention of scouts who previously knew little about him. With that, he quickly jumped on the radar as one of Cleveland’s more intriguing lower-level prospects

But then, just a few months after completing his first pro season, Caminero was traded to the Rays in exchange for pitching prospect Tobias Myers, who was coming off a strong season in the upper minors. It was hardly considered a blockbuster; rather, it was a minor swap between two clubs managing their 40-man rosters at the outset of the offseason, exchanging a teenage lottery ticket for a pitcher who projected to contribute at the big-league level in the near future.

As it turned out, however, Myers never made it to the majors with Cleveland and bounced around a couple more teams before finding a home with Milwaukee. Meanwhile, it didn’t take long for the Rays to realize they’d struck gold.

Caminero’s stateside debut in 2022 was eye-opening. He mashed his way to Low-A Charleston, where he was one of the youngest players at the level. Wanting to challenge him and sustain his developmental momentum, the Rays suggested his season continue further — and farther away — than Caminero ever could’ve imagined. The organization wanted the 19-year-old to spend part of the winter playing for the Perth Heat of the Australian Baseball League, a team that has hosted several Rays prospects in recent years.

“When they told me for the first time, I thought about it, I was like, ‘No, I’m not gonna go there. It’s too far. I’m gonna be away from my family,’” Caminero said. But after some convincing from his agent, Rafa Nieves, Caminero understood the opportunity and agreed.

“He was like, ‘If you go there and you put the work in, you’re gonna remember that time there,’” Caminero recalled. “And that’s what happened.”

While the competition in Australia isn’t as grueling as in the winter leagues in Latin America, the unique setting on the other side of the globe tested more than just Caminero’s on-field ability. Most crucially, it was a chance for him to demonstrate the maturity and confidence necessary to thrive in an unfamiliar environment, which he did with aplomb.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that he also demolished said competition, smashing 14 home runs in 39 games for Perth and continuing the homer-heavy theme of his burgeoning career.

By the time Caminero returned to the northern hemisphere for spring training in 2023, he was no longer a hidden gem.

“I remember watching him when he came over for a game against Minnesota up in Fort Myers,” Rays bench coach Rodney Linares recalled. “He hit BP, and he was hitting the ball, just peppering the center-field wall. I was like, ‘Oh, maybe we should pay a little bit more attention to this kid.’”

Another 31 home runs later across High-A and Double-A, and Caminero arrived, making his major-league debut for Tampa Bay at the end of September at age 20.

[Get more Tampa Bay news: Rays team feed]

‘Sky’s the limit for the kid’

A highly anticipated rookie season appeared to be on deck in 2024, but Caminero was optioned to Triple-A to start the year, and then his return to the majors was delayed further by a quad injury that cost him all of June. He showed glimpses of greatness in the second half, but the true breakout began after the season, when Caminero starred in the Dominican Winter League. His epic run was punctuated by a breathtaking, game-winning home run that clinched the championship for Leones del Escogido, the team he grew up cheering for.

With nothing left to prove in the minors, a brief taste of big-league success and newfound stardom from his winter league heroics, Caminero entered 2025 eager to ascend further.

“I feel that I belong here,” he said of his mindset going into this season. “When I had my debut in ‘23, there was a lot of pressure. And last year, I came midseason, too. So this year, having that confidence since the beginning of the season, knowing that I was going to be here and that I was going to be playing, that has been huge for me.”

And the results have been tremendous. A big first half earned Caminero an invite to the All-Star Game and a spot in the Home Run Derby, where he put on an absolute show before falling in the finals to Cal Raleigh.

“He has that charisma that people are drawn to,” Linares said. “He is great with fans. The moment doesn’t get too big for him. … Sky’s the limit for the kid.”

Since the break, Caminero’s power production has only increased. With a few days left to go, he has hit an astounding dozen homers in August alone.

“I knew he had this in him,” said fellow 22-year-old infielder Carson Williams, who recently joined Caminero in the big leagues after being teammates at multiple levels in the minors. “I mean, he was the best hitter I’ve ever seen … I told everybody: He’s gonna be so special.”

A work in progress on defense

Caminero’s rare combination of bat speed and barrel control enables an elite level of slugging without an overwhelming amount of whiffs. Only Giancarlo Stanton and Oneil Cruz swing the bat faster on average than Caminero, and while Stanton and Cruz both carry strikeout rates north of 30%, Caminero’s hovers around 20%.

That’s not to say Caminero’s offensive game is flawless. While his bat-to-ball skills and plate coverage suppress the strikeout totals, Caminero rarely draws walks, and his proclivity to chase pitches outside the zone often yields weak contact, hampering his ability to reach base with frequency; his .299 on-base percentage ranks 128th out of 153 qualified hitters. Developing his plate discipline is the most obvious area for growth as Caminero progresses, but the fact that he has been able to produce to this degree while employing a hyper-aggressive approach is a testament to his talent.

And even more encouraging than Caminero’s performance at the plate have been the strides made with his glove. Early in his professional career, Caminero was regarded as an extremely poor defender who looked uncomfortable and uncoordinated in the infield. With every rave review about his bat came a host of questions and concerns regarding his glove and where it would fit at the major-league level, casting doubt on his ultimate potential as a player.

Driven by that skepticism, Caminero has worked diligently with infield coach Brady Williams to overcome those longstanding concerns. And after rating notably poorly at third base over the first two months of 2025, Caminero has graded out as a plus defender since the start of June.

“I really applaud Cami for the effort, certainly at the plate, and the work that he does behind the scenes in the cage, but he’s done just as much, if not more, on defense,” Cash said. “I’ve seen a guy that’s more confident with his reads on ground balls, when to drop step, when to come get the ball. He’s worked on his throwing accuracy. By no means am I saying he’s a finished product, but he is working with that goal in mind.

“He wants to be an elite player on both sides of the ball.”

‘He does not want to be good — he wants to be great’

For all he has already shown, Caminero knows how much better he can still get. With his supreme talent comes a profound respect and admiration for those who came before him, players whose greatness over a prolonged period serve as an example worth striving for. He wears No. 13 to honor Manny Machado, his favorite player growing up and one who also reached the big leagues at an incredibly young age and starred immediately. When Machado’s Padres were in Tampa last year, Linares, who managed Machado on Team Dominican Republic in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, made sure the two connected.

“[Caminero] came up to me when we played San Diego … and he was like, ‘Hey, you managed Machado … how is he?’” Linares recalled. “As soon as I saw [Machado], I was like, ‘Hey, this kid, he’s the next big thing coming up.’ And they talked, and they formed a really good relationship.”

It was an emotional reunion for Caminero, who had met Machado as a kid in Baltimore back in 2014, around the same time he hit that first home run at the Olímpico. Machado embodies the kind of all-around superstar Caminero wants to become. At the same time, this fact puts what Caminero has achieved this season into perspective: Machado, with 363 career home runs, has never hit more than 37 in a season. Caminero has 39 before September.

“It feels good,” Caminero said when asked what it means to have already accomplished something that his Hall of Fame-bound hero never has. “But he’s a legend. I want to emulate him.”

And so, not yet satisfied, Caminero forges ahead. Forming relationships with veterans such as Machado has only added to his motivation to maximize his potential in hopes that he can one day be the one passing down wisdom to the next generation.

“To continue to have those conversations that I have with Machado, Aaron Judge, Jose Ramirez … All those good things that they’ve told me, just continue to put that in perspective and practice so I can be what they are for me right now … for other players in the future.”

Inspiring others remains a long-term goal. For now, Caminero is locked in on his own ambitions.

“He realizes the opportunity that he has and the ability that he has, and he’s put in a lot of work,” Linares said. “He does not want to be good — he wants to be great.”

Earlier this week, the Mets were hinting at Ryan Helsley potentially tipping his pitches, but the veteran right-hander fully believes that’s the cause of his issues since arriving in Queens.

“I’m not trying to sound arrogant or anything, but I feel like my stuff’s too good to get hit around as consistently as it has since I’ve been here,” Helsley told MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. “We’ve played mostly teams in the hunt, and a lot of teams nowadays will have guys who look specifically for those things. It’s pretty glaring and obvious when I’m doing it.” 

After a few good outings since being traded to the Mets at the trade deadline, the 31-year-old has struggled mightily. In just his last five outings, he’s allowed seven runs across 3.2 innings. His last appearance, Tuesday against the Phillies, saw Helsley allow the tying runs in the eighth inning, and he could only get one out.

That outing prompted manager Carlos Mendoza to intimate that teams have a tell on Helsley. 

“Too good of a stuff for them to be taking some really good swings on fastballs, get really good takes on sliders. We got to look back and see what we’re missing,” Mendoza said at the time. “For teams to have comfortable at-bats like that, something is going on here. We have to figure it out.”

“A hundred’s not going to play the same when guys know it’s coming,” Helsley said.

Helsley told Will Sammon of The Athletic that this isn’t the first time he’s battled tipping issues. When he was with the Cardinals last season, he ran into some trouble with it, especially against the Cubs. And he actually knows what the problem is, but fixing it won’t be easy. 

He said the tip is a subconscious habit and he can correct it in bullpen sessions, but it hasn’t yet translated to the mound consistently, especially with the pitch clock and being unable to step off.

“I think I know how to fix it,” Helsley told The Athletic. “So it’s just being able to enforce that and that being my mental norm versus what I was doing to get my body to accept that and reinforce that.”

Entering Thursday’s series opener against the Marlins, Helsley has pitched to a 10.38 ERA. He allowed only 12 runs in 36 appearances (36 innings) with the Cardinals this season, but has allowed 14 runs (10 earned) in 11 games (8.2 innings) with the Mets. The apparent pitch tipping issues and his own command problems have compounded what has been a tough stint with the Mets, but he hopes it’s only a matter of time before he can be effective again.

“My stuff is as good as it’s ever been on paper,” Helsley said. “It’s kind of an anomaly and weird in itself because as a pitcher, when you feel locked in and you feel great, you expect to put up good numbers. Obviously, I came here to try to help the team win but I haven’t done that yet. So that part stinks. But I’m trying to get this locked in and be someone who can help.”