A stronger weapon that never runs out of ammunition
Opposite field home runs are cooler than a polar bear's toenails
What’s the opposite of rolling over on a breaking ball thrown on the outside part of the plate? Sitting back and driving a fastball up and away into the right field seats.
It’s always nice when, as a “writer,” “analyst” or “content creator,” you’re proven reasonably correct with your takes. Even being in the general vicinity of correct is usually good enough to keep me diving back into the CMS1 to bang out the next post.
Personal satisfaction aside, it sure is fun to watch Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit when’s right. As a fan of the game, the team or even the idea of the guy in the shirt, watching a player with uncommon skills do uncommon things is uncommonly entertaining.
One game doesn’t erase the struggles of the previous couple weeks but any time Vlad Jr lines up process and results, it’s a great time. Punishing mistakes or jumping on pitches that suit his personal agenda makes for a fun night at the yard (or on the couch.)
As satisfying as a home run is, seeing the flip side of the approach is just as gratifying. The beauty of balance, first staying back to ride a fastball the other way and then attacking a breaking ball (a meaty one, admittedly) that he can pull - and pull with authority. A lot of authority. Maximum Authority.
Add in a well-placed infield hit later in the game and you could assume this is slump=busted situation. As among the wisest men once said: “too soon, don’t do it.” Let the rest of the road trip/week play out. Vlad Jr is in the results business now, given that the process is no longer in question.
A look at the schedule reveals some favourable match-ups ahead, a starting slate that features pitchers that could struggle to get him out when he sticks to the script and does the things that bring his abundant talents to the surface.
The ongoing discipline required to stay back against a pitcher like Max Fried, who will look to entice Guerrero to pull his sinkers on the outside corner while looking to spin his slider onto Vlad’s back foot. Charlie Morton faced Guerrero a few weeks back in Dunedin, freezing him with a low fastball for a strikeout, giving up a bullet single when he tried to do the same thing with two strikes but missed badly, and then plunked the Jays first baseman with a 3-2 curveball.
Few pitchers can say they have the upper hand when looking to a matchup against Vlad Jr. The next few games will reveal to those of us watching slowly if his adjustments were temporary or if he’s ready for the long haul.
The only way to know you’re truly alive