Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays hasn’t played the type of baseball he was hoping for over the past few weeks, something he’ll have to figure out heading into the postseason. For the Blue Jays to be the team they’re looking to be, Guerrero has to be that guy, as he’s arguably one of the top 10 hitters in Major League Baseball.
However, with three hits in his last 23 at-bats, Guerrero isn’t playing as well as he typically does. Still, he’s hitting .298 on the year with 23 home runs and 81 RBIs. His power numbers are down slightly compared to some prior years, but Guerrero has still been among the top hitters in baseball.
However, there have been a few reasons for some of his struggles, and John Schneider’s latest comments, which have circulated around the fanbase, were warranted. It’s even fair to suggest that he made the perfect comments, showing that he doesn’t have any favorites in the clubhouse and expects his top players to be ready to go every single at-bat.
“I think he kind of just gave that at-bat away against Kelly. Vlad is one swing away. He’s one swing away basically all the time … We let things snowball here a little bit the last two days,” he said, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.
Blue Jays Have Faith in Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
While Schneider’s comments can be taken a certain way by Guerrero and players on the Toronto Blue Jays, this is good. They have to understand that when players aren’t playing at the level they’re expected to and not competing at the level, more importantly, Schneider is going to let them know.
That doesn’t take away from the fact that Guerrero is among the top players in the league, with Bleacher Report recently ranking him the third-best first baseman in baseball, which actually might be somewhat low.
“The Blue Jays locked up Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with a massive 14-year, $500 million extension in April, and with the distraction of trade talks in the rearview, he has put together one of the best all-around seasons of his career.
“His power numbers are modest in comparison to the 48-homer performance he turned in during the 2021 season when he was runner-up in AL MVP voting, but he has a rare mix of elite contact skills and extra-base pop that few players in the game can match,” Joel Reuter wrote.
Should Toronto Rest Vladimir Guerrero Jr.?
Others believe there could be an easier fix to some of Guerrero’s struggles recently for the Toronto Blue Jays, including the Toronto Sun’s Rob Longley. Longley suggested that the Blue Jays should give Guerrero a few days off, which might not be the worst idea.
However, considering the Blue Jays are only three games ahead of the New York Yankees in the American League East, he likely has to play every day and hope he figures things out.
“As much as Guerrero thrives on being in the lineup every day, perhaps he needs a reset as much as some of his tired teammates. Schneider’s relationship with Guerrero is a strong one and how the manager handles the star player’s mental and physical well-being over the next 10 days could be critical. Preaching patience with an at-times agitated Guerrero could be critical,” Longley wrote.
Skippers Comments to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Should Make Blue Jays Fans Happy