This stat puts Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s ridiculous season in context
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is already looking like a superstar in the making, and it’s becoming difficult to convey how dominant he has already become.
Guerrero hit his 21st home run of the season on Sunday against the Boston Red Sox, one of eight Toronto Blue Jays home runs on the day. The performance lifted Guerrero’s slugging percentage to .688, the highest mark in the league.
Fans might be familiar with OPS, which is simply on-base percentage and slugging percentage added together and is meant as a full assessment of a player’s offensive production. As of Sunday, Guerrero’s slugging percentage alone is equal to or higher than the OPS of nine teams.
To put Vlad Guerrero Jr.’s MLB-best .688 slugging percentage in context, nine MLB teams have an OPS of .688 or lower
We’re getting to the point where Guerrero isn’t going to need any advice from his Hall of Fame father anymore. He’s right up there with Fernando Tatis Jr. as one of the best young hitters in the sport, and is on his way to winning AL MVP if his current pace keeps up.
MLB All-Star Game voting: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads all players, Shohei Ohtani on pace to start at DH
In four short weeks MLB’s best players and brightest stars will convene at Coors Field for the 2021 All-Star Game. There was no All-Star Game during the 60-game season a year ago, so this will be the first All-Star Game since 2019, when Shane Bieber took home MVP honors in Cleveland.
Phase 1 of the All-Star Game fan voting opened two weeks ago, and, on Monday, MLB announced the leading vote-getters at each position. Phase 1 of the voting will take place through June 24 and will determine the top three players at each position. Fans will then vote for the starter at each position from among the three finalists in phase 2.
Here are the leading vote-getters in the American League and their vote totals:
| Position | Leader | Second place | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Salvador Perez, Royals (694,710) | Yasmani Grandal, White Sox (141,801) | Martín Maldonado, Astros (112,585) |
| 1B | Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays (857,956) | José Abreu, White Sox (146,549) | Yuli Gurriel, Astros (130,188) |
| 2B | Marcus Semien, Blue Jays (561,326) | Jose Altuve, Astros (329,783) | DJ LeMahieu, Yankees (152,021) |
| SS | Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox (502,629) | Bo Bichette, Blue Jays (252,479) | Tim Anderson, White Sox (177,320) |
| 3B | Rafael Devers, Red Sox (451,042) | Yoán Moncada, White Sox (215,295) | Alex Bregman, Astros (194,765) |
| OF | Mike Trout, Angels (706,502) | Adolís Garcia, Rangers (353,230) | Alex Verdugo, Red Sox (190,290) |
| OF | Aaron Judge, Yankees (538,448) | Teoscar Hernández, Blue Jays (224,441) | Randy Arozarena, Rays (171,462) |
| OF | Byron Buxton, Twins (383,178) | Randal Grichuk, Blue Jays (201,307) | Michael Brantley, Astros (166,298) |
| DH | Shohei Ohtani, Angels (526,608) | JD Martinez, Red Sox (293,757) | Yordan Alvarez, Astros (143,091) |
Guerrero leads all players in total votes, though it’s a slim margin over a fellow Junior over in the National League. Buxton started a minor league rehab assignment last week and is expected to rejoin the Twins soon. Trout is still recovering from a calf injury, however, and it’s unclear whether he’ll return before the All-Star Game. If not, he would be replaced by the next leading vote-getter.
I’m not sure if it’ll be possible given the demanding workload, but MLB should do everything in its power to get Ohtani in the Home Run Derby, and also have him hit and pitch in the All-Star Game. Fans do not vote for the All-Star Game starting pitchers, but Ohtani is on the ballot at DH, and he has a healthy lead at the position.
Keep in mind this phase of the voting only determines the three finalists at each position, so voting totals within the top three are irrelevant. They’ll be reset in the second round of voting. The real race is for a top three spot, and the closest races are at catcher (Christian Vázquez is 12,012 votes behind Maldonado) and DH (Yermín Mercedes is 10,844 votes behind Alvarez).
Now here are the leading vote-getters in the National League:
| Position | Leader | Second place | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Buster Posey, Giants (511,221) | Yadier Molina, Cardinals (273,515) | Willson Contreras, Cubs (194,550) |
| 1B | Max Muncy, Dodgers (405,609) | Freddie Freeman, Braves (288,580) | Anthony Rizzo, Cubs (207,187) |
| 2B | Ozzie Albies, Braves (295,478) | Adam Frazier, Pirates (201,886) | Gavin Lux, Dodgers (167,421) |
| SS | Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres (701,251) | Javier Báez, Cubs (233,644) | Corey Seager, Dodgers (153,863) |
| 3B | Kris Bryant, Cubs (502,970) | Nolan Arenado, Cardinals (239,189) | Justin Turner, Dodgers (198,807) |
| OF | Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves (834,207) | Mookie Betts, Dodgers (400,202) | Bryce Harper, Phillies (157,816) |
| OF | Nick Castellanos, Reds (568,758) | Juan Soto, Nationals (195,950) | Trent Grisham, Padres (142,390) |
| OF | Jesse Winker, Reds (462,629) | Chris Taylor, Dodgers (185,612) | Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks (128,515) |
Acuña Jr. leads the National League in votes and has the second most votes overall behind Guerrero. Bryant has actually played far more outfield (40 games) than third base (16 games) this season, though he’s played mostly third base in his career, and is most associated with that position. Tough break for Arenado, Turner, and the other National Leaguers at the hot corner.
Keep in mind this phase of the voting only determines the three finalists at each position, so voting totals within the top three are irrelevant. They’ll be reset in the second round of voting. The real race is for a top three spot, and the closest races are at second base (Nico Hoerner is only 2,286 votes behind Lux) and in the outfield (Joc Pederson is only 2,292 votes behind Marte).
The 2021 MLB All-Star Game will be played Tuesday, July 13. The Home Run Derby is Monday, July 12, and the Futures Game is Sunday, July 11. Here’s the All-Star Game ballot.
Blue Jays’ Guerrero Jr. leads voting after first round of all-star balloting
Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. celebrates as he rounds third base after hitting a solo home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 15, 2021, in Dunedin, Fla.
Toronto Blue Jays star slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads all players after the first round of balloting for the 2021 All-Star Game, MLB announced Monday.
First #AllStarBallot update just dropped
Vote https://t.co/Y5U1wwbAAO pic.twitter.com/9XbxcTamqY
— MLB (@MLB) June 14, 2021
The 22-year-old first baseman leads MLB in home runs (21), RBI (55), on-base percentage (.450), slugging percentage (.688) and on-base plus slugging (1.137). He’s also topping the American League with a .344 batting average, tying him for second overall in MLB.
Guerrero Jr., who is seeking his first all-star nod, has received 857,956 votes and is looking to become just the third Blue Jay in history to lead the majors in balloting after José Bautista (2011, 2014) and Josh Donaldson (2014).
Guerrero Jr. is trailed by Atlanta Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. in the early balloting with 834,287 votes.
Blue Jays second baseman Marcus Semien is on pace to join his teammate in the July 13th event at Denver’s Coors Field as he leads the AL balloting for the position with 561,326 votes.
The 30-year-old has gotten off to a strong start with the Blue Jays, after signing with Toronto on a one-year, $18-million deal in the off-season, putting up 15 home runs and 37 RBI while slashing .294/.359/.529.
Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette is currently second in balloting for his position with 252,479 votes. He trails Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who leads with 502,629 votes.
The 23-year-old Bichette has put up 13 home runs and 39 RBI so far this season while slashing .281/.329/.821.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr
| Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Guerrero with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019
|
|||
| Toronto Blue Jays – No. 27 | |||
| First baseman | |||
| Born: March 16, 1999 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
|||
|
|||
| MLB debut | |||
| April 26, 2019, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||
| MLB statistics (through June 13, 2021) |
|||
| Batting average | .285 | ||
| Home runs | 45 | ||
| Runs batted in | 157 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
Vladimir Guerrero Ramos Jr. (born March 16, 1999) is a Canadian–Dominican professional baseball first baseman and third baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is the son of former MLB player and Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr. He made his major league debut in April 2019.
Professional career
Minor leagues
Eligible for free agency in 2015, Baseball America ranked Guerrero as the top international free agent, and MLB.com ranked him the fourth-best. He signed with Toronto on July 2, 2015, for $3.9 million. Guerrero was assigned to extended spring training camp to open the 2016 minor league season. Guerrero made his professional baseball debut with the Rookie Advanced Bluefield Blue Jays on June 23. Guerrero hit his first professional home run on June 24, a two-run shot in a 4–2 loss to the Bristol Pirates. On August 12, Guerrero recorded his first multi-home run game, hitting two solo shots in an 18–5 win against the Pulaski Yankees. Later in August, he was named the Appalachian League‘s All-Star at third base. Guerrero played in 62 games for Bluefield in 2016, and hit .271 with eight home runs, 46 runs batted in (RBI), and 15 stolen bases. On January 24, 2017, MLB named Guerrero the third best prospect at third base heading into the 2017 minor league season.
Guerrero opened the 2017 minor league season with the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts. In a 6–3 win over the Great Lakes Loons on April 7, he hit his first home run of the season. Guerrero was named a Midwest League All-Star on June 7, and on June 29, he was named to the World team roster for the 2017 All-Star Futures Game. On July 6, the Blue Jays announced Guerrero would be promoted to the Advanced-A Dunedin Blue Jays following the All-Star Futures Game. In a game against the Clearwater Threshers on August 31, Guerrero hit a home run to give the Blue Jays a 5–3 victory, with the win ensuring Dunedin would make the Florida State League playoffs. Guerrero finished the 2017 regular season with a .323 batting average, 13 home runs, and 76 RBI in 119 games played. He also walked more than he struck out, with 76 and 62 respectively, and posted a .910 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). On September 6, Guerrero was named ESPN‘s Prospect of the Year. During the offseason, he played in 26 games for the Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Winter League.
_(cropped).jpg)
Entering the 2018 season, Guerrero was considered the top prospect in the Blue Jays organization by MLB and Baseball America. On March 23, Blue Jays team president Mark Shapiro announced that Guerrero would begin the season with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Through the first month of the season, he led the Eastern League with a .398 batting average and 30 runs batted in.[24] On June 4, Guerrero was named the Eastern League’s Player of the Month after hitting .438 with nine home runs and 28 RBI in May. On June 6, Guerrero was removed from a game against the Akron RubberDucks with a leg injury. Three days later, it was determined that he had a strained patellar ligament in his left knee, and would be on the disabled list for at least four weeks. On July 28, it was announced that Guerrero would be promoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons following his father’s induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Guerrero hit .402 with 14 home runs and 60 RBI in 61 games with New Hampshire. On August 30, the Blue Jays added Guerrero to the roster of the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League (AFL).
Entering 2019 spring training, questions arose as to whether the Blue Jays organization would have Guerrero on the Opening Day roster, or seek to manipulate his MLB service time by assigning him to the minors to begin the season. Keeping Guerrero in the minor leagues for the first two weeks of the season would prevent him from reaching free agency until after the 2025 season. On March 10, the Blue Jays announced that Guerrero had suffered an oblique strain two days earlier and was ruled out for the rest of spring training.
Toronto Blue Jays
_(50161784887).jpg)
On April 24, 2019, the Blue Jays announced that Guerrero would be called up from Triple-A Buffalo on April 26. Guerrero was considered the top prospect in all of professional baseball prior to being called up, and was hitting .367/.424/.700 with three home runs and eight RBIs during an eight-game stint with Buffalo in 2019.[34] He went hitless in his first three at-bats against the Oakland Athletics before hitting a double in the bottom of the ninth inning and exiting for a pinch runner. Guerrero recorded his first multi hit game, and reached base safely four times, on May 11.
On May 14, against the San Francisco Giants in Oracle Park, Guerrero hit his first major league home run in the first inning off Nick Vincent. At 20 years and 59 days of age, Guerrero became the youngest Blue Jay to hit a home run, breaking Danny Ainge‘s record by 18 days. In the sixth inning, with two men on, he hit another home run off Reyes Moronta. He hit two more home runs in the following series against the Chicago White Sox, including one that bounced off the glove of center fielder Leury Garcia and over the wall. Guerrero’s four home runs over a six-game road trip earned him the American League Player of the Week Award, and made him the youngest Blue Jay to win the award.[38] On May 22, he hit his first home run at the Rogers Centre off Rick Porcello of the Boston Red Sox. On May 31, Guerrero’s sixth home run, against the Colorado Rockies, was the 1,135th home run in May throughout Major League Baseball, breaking the MLB record for most home runs in a single month. On July 8, he broke the single round home run record in the Home Run Derby with a total of 40 home runs after three overtimes in the semifinals against Joc Pederson. He also broke the record for most home runs in a derby with 91, although he lost the final round to Pete Alonso. In 2019, Guerrero batted .272/.339/.433 with 15 home runs and 69 RBI in 464 at bats. He hit the ball with the second highest exit velocity (118.9 mph) of all balls hit by major league batters in 2019.
The start of the 2020 campaign was delayed into July by the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 10, Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo announced that Guerrero would shift primarily to playing first base, but still play at third base and designated hitter when necessary. Overall with the 2020 Blue Jays, Guerrero batted .262 with nine home runs and 33 RBIs in 60 games.
On April 27, 2021, Guerrero had his first career three-homer game, including a grand slam against Washington Nationals starter Max Scherzer, to go along with 7 RBI on the day.
Scouting report
Guerrero is seen as a top prospect due to his exceptional hitting ability, which scouts have often graded an 80, the highest possible mark on baseball’s 20-to-80 scouting scale and the first 80 given to a prospect for his hitting. His power has often received a 70 grade, which indicates a “plus-plus” tool in the scouting industry. His defense produces more questions: scouts are unsure if he can remain at third base at the major league level, but he has shown the potential to develop into a passable defender. However, Keith Law states that due to Guerrero’s body type, he is a future designated hitter.[46][47]
Personal life
Guerrero is the son of Vladimir Guerrero, who was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in January 2018, and the nephew of Wilton Guerrero. He was born in Montreal while his father was playing for the Montreal Expos, and is a Canadian citizen (his mother Riquelma Ramos learned to speak fluent French while living in Montreal and later moved with him to the Dominican Republic where Vladimir Jr. spent most of his early childhood. His cousin, Gabriel, also plays professional baseball. Guerrero has two daughters.
