Vladimir Guerrero Jr had a very quiet night on Tuesday as his Blue Jays beat up on Cleveland 7-2. While la gente del barrio poured on the runs, Guerrero registered only the third 0-5 outing of his season, ending a modest hit streak at nine games.
The hit streak factoid stood out to me because Vlad Jr has looked a little…normal at the plate lately? Still very good but not the same jump through the screen standout performances we’ve come to expect. A very modest .959 OPS in the second half. A pedestrian 153 wRC+1.
Tuesday night against Cleveland featured a few hard hit ground balls but also some out-of-character zone expanding towards the end of the night. In a 1-0 count against hard-throwing reliever Trevor Stephan, Vlad Jr swung at a terrible pitch, among the most high and inside he’s offered at all season. While he can often get his hands inside and do damage to these knuckle-seeking heaters, this one was a little bit different.
Usually it’s the two-seam fastballs that get in on Vlad Jr, which makes sense given the way those pitches tail in towards the batter’s hands. But Stephan managed to not only throw a 98 mph fastball inside on Guerrero but he got the league’s best hitter to offer at a bad pitch, suggesting he was fooled or looking for something else.
In his final AB of the night, Guerrero again took an aggressive hack on an inside fastball, again grounding out to the left side against another hard-throwing reliever Sam Hentges. It was a game reminiscent of the bad old days for Vlad Jr, where his unique bat-to-ball skills almost do him a disservice.
His strikeout rate has fallen sharply in recent weeks but so too has his production. When he expands the zone, he doesn’t get into bad counts as much as he just hits hard bouncers that turn into easy outs. The curse of the coordinated, I suppose.
The “his production has fallen sharply” statement above requires heavy qualification. A drop-off in production over the last month still finds Vlad Jr as the most productive hitter in the game this season! He’s all but wrapped up 30 second place MVP votes and one of the five best offensive seasons in club history. He hit a crazy, laser beam of a line drive home run as recently as Monday! It was a thing of beauty, a game-trying shot that ignited the very combustible home crowd in Toronto.
His stature within the game and as a super duper star took on a new dimension with the Blue Jays returning to Toronto. The team took to the slick new carpet against the Royals and Cleveland amidst joyous, delirious scenes at the dome, where fans welcomed Vlad Jr as the conquering hero he’s become. He was the Main Character for the Blue Jays, as he will be for the next four to 12 years (fingers crossed.)
Guerrero was everywhere, showing off the insanely good and cool jacket reserved for home run hitters. Naturally, it was sized for the frame it's going to cloak most often.
Even when he was out of the lineup, Guerrero remained in Main Character mode, bounding around the dugout and out onto the field, wielding both his cool coat and influence in equal measure. He participated in the wave and directed infielders. He was as prominent in front of the Sportsnet cameras as he is in the minds of opposing pitchers. He was inevitable and unavoidable and at one point needed to be restrained.
Playing in front of fans in Toronto, it became abundantly clear that this, at risk of borrowing a cursed phrase, is Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s team. His jersey dotted the stands with alarming regularity. His cheers were loudest and his every move greeted with anticipation, a quiet murmur that follows the true greats as fans wait to see something they won’t soon forget.
The Friday affair was as memorable a Blue Jays game as you’ll come across, in October or otherwise, and it was one Vlad Jr home run shy of perfect.
These Blue Jays, Vlad Jr.’s Blue Jays, are in a fight for their playoff future in 2021. The team made moves to bolster their pitching staff in support of their high octane offense. The time is now for this team and the superstar that serves as its beating heart. He’s not alone but he’s the difference maker. The reception he received over the weekend suggests a fan base and a nation is eager to follow where he leads.
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