Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has seen his bat wake up over the last several games, but the slugger still missed out on a pair of big opportunities due to some bad luck.
The veteran first baseman had been mired in a season-long slump at the plate, watching his home run production plummet and his big hits diminish. He has gotten more production over the last few series, including some big performances in a clutch series win against the Cleveland Guardians that allowed the Blue Jays to climb closer to a playoff spot.
But a new analysis showed that Guerrero also suffered some bad luck this week, with two of his hardest-hit balls of the season ending up as outs.
Vladimir Guerrero Had Two Tough-Luck Outs
As the MLB Stats account noted in a post on X, Guerrero hit a ball off the bat 116.3 miles per hour in a game against the Seattle Mariners earlier in the week and reached 115.8 miles per hour in Friday’s win over the Kansas City Royals, but both resulted in outs.
Guerrero still managed two hits in the 9-2 win, following up another big performance in the series finale against the Guardians. Guerrero went 3-for-4 with a home run, double, and five RBI in the game — his first five-RBI game in more than two years.
Blue Jays Hope Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is Back on Track
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said he hoped the game marked the return of the slugger of old.
“Everyone has been behind him,” Schneider said, via MLB.com. “You guys know I have been behind him the entire year and will continue to be. That was a bit of a deep breath for him and a deep breath for everyone. Hopefully he can stay right there.”
Schneider added that it wouldn’t take much to put Guerrero back on track to his previous pace, when he helped lead the team to Game 7 of the World Series last season.
“I feel like I’ve been saying that, right? It could be a swing, could be a game,” Schneider said. “You never know where the mental game takes you in this long season. Hopefully, that’s a good feeling for Vladdy tonight and into tomorrow. You’ve just got to keep stacking those days together. As good as it was today, you’ve got to come on a quick turnaround tomorrow and do it again against a tough pitcher.”
Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Suffers More Bad Luck in Big Win