The World Series Hadn't Started Yet. A Rays Slugger Had Already Broken the Scoreboard.

By The Arena Staff

MILWAUKEE, Oct. 23, 2026 — The first damage of this World Series was done before a single pitch counted. During Thursday's workout day at American Family Field, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero hit a batting-practice home run that knocked out part of the center-field videoboard, MLB.com reported.

"The World Series hasn't even started yet, but Junior Caminero is already doing damage," MLB.com wrote. MLB posted the clip of the swing on its own site.

## What Happened

Batting practice is usually background noise on a workout day: players loosening up, reporters milling around, nobody keeping score. This swing got attention. According to ClutchPoints, which cited video from WTSP-TV reporter Evan Closky, the ball bounced off the scoreboard and caused it to glitch. Closky's post summed it up: Caminero is "already breaking things inside American Family Field."

Neither outlet reported how long the board was affected, and there was no word that the damage would affect Game 1.

## Why It Fits

Caminero has earned the reputation. He batted .276 with 42 home runs and 101 RBIs this season while playing all 162 games, ClutchPoints reported. His power had been quiet this October until Monday, when he hit a laser off the left-field foul pole in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series against the Guardians to put an exclamation point on the pennant clincher. MLB.com described what followed as "one of the longest home run trots you'll ever see."

So the scoreboard incident lands as a kind of warning shot. If a BP swing can do this, Brewers fans will be watching the real ones closely.

## Tonight

Game 1 is tonight, Friday, at 8 p.m. ET on FOX in the same ballpark. According to MLB.com's Game 1 preview, the Rays will start Nick Martinez, a surprise choice over ace Drew Rasmussen, against Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, who led the majors in ERA, strikeouts and WHIP in the regular season.

There is history on both sides. Neither franchise has won a World Series, and this is the first World Series game at American Family Field. It is not Milwaukee's first, though: the 1957 Braves and the 1982 Brewers both played the Fall Classic at County Stadium, which stood just west of today's park. It has been 44 years since the World Series came to town.

For the Brewers, the hope is that everything on the videoboard is working again by first pitch. Especially the part that shows the score.

Sources: MLB.com · ClutchPoints · MLB.com Game 1 preview · MLB (video)