Toronto Blue Jays fans, and surely the team’s management as well, want to see Vladimir Guerrero Jr. return to the 40 home run plateau this year, and the first cushion player is confident of displaying all his power.
Author of a harvest of 48 long balls and 111 points produced in 2021, the offspring of former Montreal Expos star Vladimir Guerrero saw his statistics fade somewhat. During the following campaign, he was satisfied with 32 shots of four goals and his total increased to 26 in 2023. In addition, he scored 97 points in 2022, compared to 94 a year later.
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However, his victory in salary arbitration (he will receive $19.9 million) and adequate preparation during the winter should increase his level of motivation and enthusiasm at a time when major baseball training camps are in their final stages. first days. Moreover, the slugger collected a single in two at-bats during his inaugural preparatory meeting, Monday, against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“I know what I can accomplish and what type of player I am. If I prepare in the required way, I am able to present good statistics… excellent statistics, commented Guerrero Jr. through his interpreter Tito Lebron, during an interview published by the daily Toronto Sun, Wednesday. It’s simple: if you hope to be the best player, you have to mean it. That’s always how I approach it.”
“This was my most convincing off-season in several years, but it won’t be my best. My goal is to continue to progress physically every year, to be much better,” he continued.
Learn from one’s mistakes
As he gains experience in major league baseball, the Montreal native understands that he must avoid certain pitfalls. He also lost more than forty pounds starting in the summer of 2020, which helped him turn things around during the following calendar and deliver an exceptional performance. However, it must be kept in mind that the slightest relaxation in terms of work ethic can prove costly.
“It’s not just this year, but the ones before that as well. The 2021 season was a learning process. You understand that you have to work hard to be ready and that’s what I did there, he said. It’s important to be one of the best; not just for me, but for my family and the organization. And it has to be on the field and off.”
Victory against the Rays
Guerrero Jr. was also in the lineup for the Blue Jays, who won 3-2 in a preseason game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old singled, drew a walk and was struck out.
Trailing 2 to 0 after five and a half innings, the Blue Jays took advantage of an error from catcher Dominic Keegan to open their score. A Santiago Espinal single then tied the game in the sixth inning at bat.
In the seventh inning, Rafael Lantigua produced the winning run with a sacrifice fly that pushed Luis De Los Santos to the plate.
The Blue Jays will continue their preparatory schedule on Thursday, with a duel against the Philadelphia Phillies.
2024-02-28 20:26:25
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