Junior Caminero had gone the entire postseason without a home run — zero in seven games, batting .233 — and he picked Game 6 of the 2026 ALCS to end the drought in the most unforgettable way possible. The 23-year-old Dominican slugger launched a two-run shot in the seventh inning off Cade Smith, pushed Tampa Bay’s lead to 5-1 over the Cleveland Guardians, and before he even touched home plate, crossed his arms and struck a pose every fan inside Tropicana Field knew instantly: the Randy.
Randy Arozarena was sitting in the stands that night, watching the Rays punch their ticket to the World Series.
The Pose, the Moment, the Man Who Made It Famous
The Rays’ official account posted the video within seconds, caption and all: «Hitting the Randy for Randy.» That pretty much covers it.
Arozarena left Tampa Bay in 2024 when he was traded to the Seattle Mariners, but his fingerprints on that franchise never faded. He’s the architect of the most explosive postseason run in recent Rays history: in 2020, he set the MLB record with 10 home runs in a single postseason and was named ALCS MVP. Every time he crossed the plate after one of those, arms folded, stone-faced — that image got burned into the memory of every Tampa Bay fan.
The fact that «the Randy» survived six years and a trade, and that a 23-year-old executed it in the biggest moment of the season while Arozarena watched from above — that’s not coincidence. That’s continuity.
A Slump Nobody Saw Coming From Tampa’s Best Hitter
Caminero finished the 2026 regular season as Tampa Bay’s most productive bat: 42 home runs and 101 RBI. The Rays went 98-64, won the AL East, and entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. There was no reason to doubt him.
But the postseason had other plans — at least early on. Caminero arrived at Game 6 without a single homer in the playoffs, hitting .233 across seven games. A strange contrast for a guy who’d been one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball for 162 games.
Then came the seventh inning. Rays up 3-1, Yandy Díaz on base, Smith throwing an 84.8 mph splitter. Caminero drove it to left field, off the foul pole. Two runs, a 5-1 lead, and a pose that ended any remaining debate. Tampa Bay won 7-3.
The franchise is headed to its third World Series in history — this time against the Milwaukee Brewers.
A Reunion Night at the Trop
Arozarena didn’t come alone. Tyler Glasnow — another former Rays cornerstone who was traded away — was also in the stands, watching the team that built them both advance to the Fall Classic.
After Caminero’s homer, Arozarena made his way to the Rays’ radio booth and handed out hugs. For the fans who lived through the 2020 bubble, the 10 home runs, and the pose — seeing Arozarena in those seats while a current Ray replicated his most iconic gesture was the kind of full-circle moment the story was always building toward.
Tampa Bay moves on. The Randy moves with them.
