The MLB world is excited about the battle between two young Dominicans for the MLB home run lead.
This Friday Vladimir Guerrero Jr., of the Toronto Blue Jays, and Fernando Tatís Jr., the star of the San Diego Padres, wake up at the top of their respective leagues, tied with 22 homers.
The pulse maintained by the two promising players in Dominican baseball has caused the moment to be compared to the summer of 1998, when Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire staged a war for the National League home run championship.
2️⃣2️⃣ homers for Fernando Tatis Jr. now ties Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the most in Major League Baseball.
El Niño blasted this one to left center to give the Padres a 1-0 lead!
? @MLB pic.twitter.com/zd35A6Twwh
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 18, 2021
Although Guerrero Jr. and Tatís Jr. have all the focus on this power battle, there is not much similarity to the story of McGwire and Sosa, which was immortalized in a documentary.
At the time, there was the incentive that McGwire, who then played for the St. Louis Cardinals, was after Roger Maris’ home run record (61). The new mark, imposed by Barry Bonds in 2001, is 73 and seems to be far from the reach of the Quisqueyans.
Also, they are one step behind in the rhythm. As of June 17, they both have 22 homers, down from Sosa and McGwire at that time of the season in 1998.
By this date the American commanded the department with 33 home runs and Sosa had 25. War had not yet been declared between them, as all attention was focused on McGwire’s chances of dethroning Maris.
They finished with 70 and 66, respectively, and their fight was sized by the uproar it caused after years of fan apathy toward the Major Leagues, a pushback that deepened after the 1994 strike.
This time, in addition, there is a third in dispute: Venezuelan Ronald Acuña Jr, of the Atlanta Braves, with the potential to dethrone them. How will the duel between Guerrero Jr. and Tatís Jr. end?
