Trout praises Rays' Caminero: 'Going to be a superstar'
Mike Trout is one of the greatest players baseball has ever seen, so he knows a superstar when he sees one, and he sees one in Tampa Bay Rays youngster Junior Caminero.
"He's an unbelievable player. He's going to be a superstar," the Los Angeles Angels outfielder told Rays reporter Ryan Bass.
Trout's former teammate Albert Pujols managed Caminero and Leones del Escogido to the LIDOM championship in the Dominican Republic this past February. Caminero clobbered a game-winning homer during an electrifying moment that went viral on social media.
Pujols called Caminero one of the best hitters he's ever seen, and Trout seems to agree.
"You can see it," the three-time MVP said. "I talked to Albert about the homer he hit in the championship game. ... It's fun to have young guys come up, make an impact, and have such big hype and then go out there and put up good numbers ... and have an impact on MLB.
Caminero, who hit his first homer of the season against the Angels during their series opener Tuesday, is off to a slow start but is still showcasing the elite bat speed that put him on people's radars.
The 21-year-old is in the 100th percentile in bat speed through the first 11 games of the campaign.