In the Rays final series last season in Toronto, Junior received a standing ovation during batting practice after launching balls off the fence in front of the upper deck in left field at Rogers Centre...Following his first season in the Rays organization in 2022, Junior spent the winter overseas with the Australian Baseball League’s Perth Heat, leading the club to a championship series appearance while recording team highs in RBI (37) and home runs (14)…he is one of several Rays to appear for the Heat before making the big leagues, joining a group that includes Mike Brosseau, Tristan Gray and Jacob Lopez.
2023
Appeared in seven games after being selected from Double-A Montgomery on Sept. 22, each of...Named the Rays 2023 Minor League Player of the Year by the club’s baseball operations department…hit .327/.426/.617 (106-for-324) with 26 2B, 22 HR, 81 RBI and 59 BB in 93 games between Bowling Green and Montgomery, including 10 2B, five HR and 26 RBI in 30 games after his Aug. 9 promotion to Double-A...Was 20 years, 80 days old at the time of his debut, becoming the second-youngest player to debut for the Rays, trailing only B.J. Upton (19.347)…the only player younger than him (born 7/5/03) to appear in a major league game in 2023 was MIA Eury Pérez (4/15/03)...Six of his eight hits with the Rays registered exit velocities of at least 103.0 mph...Became the sixth Montgomery Biscuit, including the first position player, to be promoted directly to the Rays, joining José Alvarado (2017), Hunter Wood (2017), Chad Orvella (2005), John Webb (2004) and Scott Kazmir (2004)...Led Rays Minor Leaguers in batting average, on-base pct., slugging pct. and OPS (1.043), tied for third in homers, ranked fourth in RBI, fifth in extra-base hits (49) and sixth in walks...Named Double-A Player of the Year and a First Team Minor League All-Star by Baseball America…the publication also tabbed him as the best Power Hitter in the Rays organization for the second straight season in addition to the Best Defensive Third Baseman in High-A...Earned Southern League MVP honors, becoming the sixth Montgomery Biscuit to win the award…also recognized as the league’s Top MLB Prospect…was named Southern League Player of the Month for August after hitting .366 (34-for-93) with a league-leading 10 HR and 25 RBI across 24 games...Won the Breakout Player of the Year award at the inaugural MiLB Awards Show…finished as runner-up for Hitting Prospect of the Year to BAL Jackson Holliday...Recorded a 38-game on-base streak with Montgomery from July 19–Sept. 5, marking the longest run by a Biscuit since Hak-Ju Lee (46G: June 13–Aug. 3, 2012)...On Aug. 12 vs. Birmingham, recorded a career-high 3 HR and 6 RBI for Montgomery...On Sept. 23 vs. TOR, made his Major League debut and notched his first career hit with a 112.0-mph ingle off Hyun Jin Ryu…it marked the hardest-hit ball by a player age 20 or younger over the last four seasons (2020-23)…also marked the highest exit velocity recorded by any Rays hitter age 20 or younger in the Statcast era (since 2015)...On Sept. 26 at BOS, tallied his first career XBH with an RBI-double off the Green Monster in the opening frame...On Oct. 1 at TOR, hit his first career homer, a 107.0-mph, opposite-field shot off Tim Mayza…it marked the Rays 230th and final home run of the season, marking a new club record (prev. 228HR, 2017)...Went 5-for-15 (.333) with 1 HR and 5 RBI over his final three games...POSTSEASON: Went hitless in a pair of at-bats as a pinch hitter in the Rays AL Wild Card Series vs. the Rangers...Slashed .333/.362/.575 (29-for-87) across 21 games for Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League…his five HR were tied for third most in the league...Rated the No. 5 prospect in baseball in Baseball America’s in-season update.
2022
Named Most Valuable Player for the FCL Rays by the Rays Baseball Operations department…also earned an FCL postseason All-Star nod…hit .314/.384/.489 (75-for-239) with 7 2B, 11 HR and 51 RBI in 62 games between the FCL Rays and Class-A Charleston...Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in the Rays organization following the season…the publication also tabbed him as the best Power Hitter among Rays farmhands...Hit .303 (47-for-155) with 14 HR in 39 games for the Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League.
2021
Ranked among Dominican Summer League hitters in homers (T2nd, 9) and slugging pct. (5th, .534) in his first professional season...Acquired by the Rays from the Guardians on November 19, 2021 in exchange for RHP Tobias Myers.
