clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Better know your Blue Jays 40-man: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

By Tom Dakers
MLB: Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Heck, I think we know Vladimir Guerrero Jr. well enough. We know his weight, how much he works out, how much he likes his grandmother’s cooking, how he’s not set the world on first the way we hoped he would, how he doesn’t get enough launch angle, how hard he hits that ball. We’ve talked/argued about him playing first base or third base or DH.

We’ve talked about whether he is a disappointment or not. Some think that a guy who is still 21 (until the end of April) and has been a better-than-average hitter can’t be a disappointment. Some believe that since he hasn’t been Fernando Tatis, he is a disappointment. Most of us are somewhere in between.

ZiPS has him hitting .276/.341/.498 with 26 home runs (and two stolen bases). PECOTA has him at .278/.347/.466 with 22 home runs (and three steals). So maybe a slight step up from his .269/.336/.442 line up to this point in his MLB career, but perhaps not the big jump we hope to see.

I’m not too fond of the idea of him going back to third base, and I think he’s the guy you put at a position and leave him there. But I don’t run things.

Poll

If the over/under on Vlad’s innings at third base is 100 I’d take the

This poll is closed

  • 26%
    Over
    (91 votes)
  • 73%
    Under
    (255 votes)
346 votes total Vote Now

Poll

If the over/under on Vlad’s home runs is 25 I’d take the

This poll is closed

  • 85%
    Over
    (309 votes)
  • 14%
    Under
    (51 votes)
360 votes total Vote Now

Poll

If I was Charlie I’d bat Vlad

This poll is closed

  • 0%
    First
    (2 votes)
  • 1%
    Second
    (6 votes)
  • 21%
    Third
    (78 votes)
  • 27%
    Fourth
    (100 votes)
  • 41%
    Fifth
    (151 votes)
  • 6%
    Sixth
    (24 votes)
  • 1%
    Seventh or lower
    (5 votes)
366 votes total Vote Now

Let us know what you are hoping to see from Vlad this year.

For me, I’d like to see the team decide on his position going forward. I don’t want to hear them going back and forth on which corner of the infield he’ll be holding down anymore. Get it out of their system this year, nail him to one bag from then on. He doesn’t have any Gold Gloves ahead of him, but I think he’ll be more than serviceable at first base.

Beyond that, I’d like it if we didn’t have to talk about his fitness level anymore. But I suppose that is up to Vlad.

More From Bluebird Banter