“Every Dominican takes pride in playing the game” – Pedro Martinez reacts to Junior Caminero’s viral ALCS celebration

Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez expressed on X that he is not surprised by Junior Caminero's on-field confidence, linking the Tampa Bay Rays third baseman's swagger to Dominican baseball culture. The comments followed Caminero's viral celebration during Game 2 of the ALCS, where the 23-year-old made a leaping catch on a Steven Kwan line drive and made a finger-wag gesture.

Caminero explained after the win that the celebration reflects his natural playing style. The play capped an impressive campaign for Caminero, who hit 42 home runs and recorded 101 RBIs across all 162 regular-season games, finishing second in MLB.com's final AL MVP poll as Tampa Bay secured the American League's top postseason seed.