When Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was a little boy, he remembers sitting inside the Expos’ clubhouse before games, with his dad. The memories of those days as a kid, and as a fan, are special. The son of Vladimir Guerrero, who played in the Majors for 16 years, signed out of the Dominican Republic with the Blue Jays in 2015.
He was destined for extraordinary things, from the moment he was born. He had been bound to achieve a level of notoriety. And he’d long expressed his love for the game. And now, at age 23, Vlad Jr. has become a can’t-miss attraction for the Blue Jays. The smooth-swinging, hard-hitting, fun-loving first baseman ascended from prodigy to fully-fledged superstar. He worked his whole life to play in the major leagues.
If you love baseball and appreciate his otherworldly displays of talents that makes it so great, you should know Toronto’s power-hitting dynamo. Mere days into the season, he’s starting to look like that generational slugger everybody was so eager to see when he first arrived to the big leagues. In Toronto’s impressive 6-4 win over the New York Yankees, Guerrero went 4-for-4 with three bombs and a double.
He homered twice off Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. Vladdy’s first-inning blast traveled 416 feet to dead center field. After getting stepped on and walking off the field with a blood-soaked towel wrapped around his right ring finger, he hit a ball to the moon in his second at bat. It was measured at 427 feet, per Statcast. The three home runs hit in Wednesday night’s game provided a reminder that he is, indeed, a popular face of not only the Blue Jays but baseball. Clearly, the fans love him in Toronto, where he continuously captivates an entire city. He’s fun to watch. He does something wild every night. He has that attitude. That energy. That fire. That drive.
This one particular scene Wednesday had to be what he envisioned. Remember, he already told us last year was the trailer. Now we’re seeing the movie. The Vladimir Guerrero Show is, unequivocally, a must-watch film. It barely started but it has already brought excitement. It’s a beautiful sight. It is good drama. And to see him now is to know immediately what happens next. This isn’t the end of it.
Off to a fast start, Guerrero, now a notably talented baseball player, has offered a glimpse of what’s to come. Get ready. It’s still early in the season, but what he’s done thus far on a personal level is unbelievably awesome. The story of baseball, momentarily, involves a player who watches his baseballs sail over the outfield fence. Of course, we’re awestruck by his impeccable ability to produce quality at-bats.
It was also a spectacular 2021 campaign for Guerrero, who endeared himself to fans everywhere with his breakout year. That result was a historic year. He notched 48 home runs, the most in an age-22 season or younger in Major League history. He’s done this with remarkable strike-zone recognition and discipline, too, having destroyed baseballs. Meteors have shot across the sky.
And while the eyes of the league have already been on him, he still has room to grow, but at the ripe age of 23 he has astonishingly perfected the art of hitting. An outstanding slugger whose swing is a mirror image of his father’s, Vladdy continues to maximize his rare physical gifts, and he has this Blue Jays team aiming for nothing less than what the 1992-93 Toronto club accomplished.
It feels like an exciting season on the way if he can hold up his end of the bargaining by showing his exceptional power. It’s not a stretch to suggest that Guerrero’s multi-homer game is the kind of presence that transforms the Blue Jays’ potent lineup. Watching him work and his competitiveness raises the level of everyone. And perhaps nobody looks as promising as Guerrero, who has largely done his part, over the first two weeks. It’s the sort of production the team needs from its star player to not only emanate some good vibes this year but to solidify themselves as one of baseball’s most feared teams.
Time and time again, you’ve seen him show out. And he’s doing more of the same every year, only better. It has been a fast and encouraging start to the season for a player who, when he is fully there, is undoubtedly the game’s most lethal hitter. And so, for now, from what we can see as of right now, Guerrero’s Blue Jays are prohibitive favorites for the World Series title. This is a team, as you can see, with one of the game’s most elite players.
With him, they can go the distance, maybe even farther than his baseballs he sends into orbit. The power he showcased has created a nightmare for the Yankees and the rest of the AL East. And still, there’s more drama to come. Plenty of it.
With how quickly he has improved and altered the trajectory of his hits through force and velocity, it’s one of the reasons they already feature perhaps one of the most complete rosters in baseball. It almost seems like the Blue Jays, one of the most relentless run-scoring units, might actually wear the crown when September arrives. A championship ring would fit much better, though.
