Sit Back, Enjoy The Vlad Show

Every day Vlad Guerrero Jr. marches toward a Triple Crown and states his American League MVP case

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

It was the first pitch he saw.

A running fastball at the inside of the zone catching too much of the plate — a mistake. Vlad Guerrero Jr. did what he’s done with that pitch all season. He showed it the quickest route out of the stadium.

It isn’t surprising, but it’s still shocking. He was the highly touted prospect, he has the minor league track record, elite pedigree, and every hitting tool imaginable. Guerrero does it each day, but every time he unleashes on an unsuspecting baseball still draws gasps.

“We’re over here playing on MVP mode,” Ross Stripling said. “And he’s playing on rookie mode.”

Entering Saturday, the first basemen led Major League Baseball in nearly every relevant hitting statistic — home runs, RBI, batting average, on-base, slugging, OPS, total bases, and WAR. Los Angeles’ Shohei Ohtani is the modern Babe Ruth, posting 17 home runs and a 2.85 ERA, and Guerrero is somehow keeping pace, maybe even leading MVP conversations.

When Nick Pivetta quick-pitched Guerrero and snuck a high fastball by him, all the 22-year-old could do was step back from the box and chuckle. Only one of the first six pitches he saw Saturday was in the strike zone. Pitchers must try something new, or just not pitch to him at all.

Even Guerrero can’t prevent stinging losses like Friday’s, and there are 25 other members on the Blue Jays roster who contribute to every win and loss. But Toronto’s first basemen is doing everything asked of him, and he’s doing it all at an elite level.

In the second inning, Steven Matz threw behind Rafael Devers who was darting towards second base. Guerrero took the toss, stepped into a throwing lane, and fired a snap-throw to Marcus Semien at second. The tag was easily applied, and the play looked simple, but Guerrero made it look that way.

“Nobody expected what he’s doing right now," Charlie Montoyo said. "But we knew there was a chance he could do something like this.”

A year after ranking in the bottom 20% in both defense and sprint speed, Guerrero has been a better defensive first baseman than 15 other fielders. He stole his second base of the season Saturday and is posting above-average speed on the base paths. He’s leading each of the triple crown categories but contributing to every aspect of the game.

Even on a Saturday with a 468-foot Bo Bichette home run, nine total runs, and back-to-back shots from Toronto’s middle infield, Guerrero was the main attraction. Even his ground-outs are loud, with a 102.5 MPH shot bouncing off his bat in the fifth inning, forcing a diving Bobby Dalbec to steal a hit.

"I'm glad I get to watch it," Steven Matz said. "I get to witness it."

We are all witness to Guerrero. He's on pace for perhaps the greatest season by a modern Blue Jay hitter, certainly the best since Josh Donaldson’s 2015. Every compliment is not an overstatement, and any criticism is unwarranted.

Guerrero currently leads the league in intentional walks, and he’s giving opposing teams every reason to offer him free passes. While ill-advised pitchers continue to challenge him, sit back and enjoy the show.