Fastball

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Does Something No Toronto Blue Jays Player in History Has Done

The Toronto Blue Jays lost to the New York Yankees on Saturday, but you can't blame Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the defeat, as he continues to remain historically hot at the plate.

Brady Farkas

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) jersey during the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 31.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) jersey during the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 31. / Reggie Hildred-USA TODAY Sports
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The Toronto Blue Jays lost to the New York Yankees on Saturday by a score of 8-3, but you can't blame Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the defeat.

The first baseman, who the team elected to hold onto at the trade deadline, has been incredibly hot at the plate since the All-Star break and went 3-for-4 on Saturday with two runs scored and an RBI. He he hit 22nd home run in the defeat.

For the year, he's now hitting .318 with the 22 homers and 72 RBI. He's also put up a 16-game stretch unlike any in team history, according to @StatsCentre:

Highest OPS by a player in a 16-game span of a season:
1.721- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Jul 14-present)
1.694- Carlos Delgado (May-Jun 2000)
1.662- Jose Bautista (Apr-May 2011)
1.597- John Olerud (May-Jun 1993)
1.556- Delgado (Sep 2002)
1.547- Josh Donaldson (Jul-Aug 2017)

The fact that Guerrero Jr. has put up these numbers in the face of all the trade rumors before the deadline makes it even more impressive. Named an All-Star again this season, the 25-year-old has a .929 OPS.

Given that Guerrero Jr. is now still with the organization, it will be interesting to see how the Blue Jays handle the offseason with him. Going into the final year of his contract in 2025, he'll still have trade value. But reports have indicated that Guerrero Jr. wants to stay, so can the two sides negotiate a deal to lock him up long-term?

The Blue Jays and Yankees will play again on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. ET.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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