'Stay Focused': Donaldson and Guerrero Jr. Swap Jerseys After Blue Jays Win
A past Blue Jay MVP and a hopeful future winner met after Sunday's game.
Josh Donaldson and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. met after the Twins and Blue Jays series finale in Toronto to exchange and sign jerseys for each other. Guerrero asked for the former Blue Jays' jersey Saturday, Toronto's first basemen told the media after the 5-3 win, and the two met after the game.
"He told me 'hey, stay focused, keep working hard until the end,'" Guerrero Jr. said through interpreter Hector Lebron.
Donaldson, who won the American League's Most Valuable Player in 2015 with the Jays, has been lauding Guerrero during his weekend return to Toronto. In an interview with the Toronto Sun's Rob Longley, Donaldson praised the season of another MVP candidate, Shohei Ohtani, but preached the case for Guerrero to win the award, citing his importance in the lineup and his contributions to a winning team.
“To me, Vlad on a day-to-day basis has affected more games,” Donaldson told Longley Saturday. “That, to me, makes you most valuable. [The Blue Jays] have a nice lineup, but without Vlad in that lineup, this isn’t the same team and that makes a big difference.”
An MVP Moment 💙 @BringerOfRain20 | #PLAKATA pic.twitter.com/9mSuSiYVBe
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 19, 2021
After Sunday's win, Guerrero was asked about his meeting with Donaldson and the praise he'd given him in recent days. Guerrero said the former Blue Jay third basemen regularly helped him during spring trainings and when he was coming through the organization as a top prospect.
"What can I say, coming from Josh it's unbelievable," Guerrero said, on Donaldson's praise. "Coming from someone that already won the MVP."
H/T Rob Longley
Mitch Bannon is a baseball reporter for Sports Illustrated covering the Toronto Blue Jays and their minor league affiliates.Twitter: @MitchBannon