Toronto Blue Jays prospects Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are the future
Two Toronto Blue Jays prospects with a lot in common are tearing up the Midwest League this season. Second generation sluggers Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have MLB blood racing through their veins. Within a few years, they have a chance to rejuvenate the Blue Jays.
Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are familiar with the MLB lifestyle. Their fathers, Dante Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero, were power-hitting behemoths in the 1990s and 2000s. The former had his best years during the early seasons of Colorado Rockies history. The latter shared the wealth a little more with the majority of his best seasons taking place with the Montreal Expos.
Each has a lot to live up to. Thus far, each is on the right path.
Bichette has been notably terrific this season with the Single-A Lansing Lugnuts. The 2016 second round draft pick hit .427 in 91 plate appearances last year in Rookie ball. To show it was no fluke, he has put together an outstanding .388/.450/.623 batting line this year through 298 plate appearances. Bichette already has 30 doubles and nine home runs. Furthermore, he has stolen 12 bases.
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There is no doubt Bichette, 19, is on the fast track to MLB. The only hole in his game is on defense. Shortstop is likely not where he ends up. Either a move to second base or the outfield where his father played is inevitable. While he has not been atrocious in the field, offense is what makes Bichette a top prospect.
Unlike Bichette, whom they drafted, Guerrero Jr. joined the Blue Jays organization as an international signing. The Blue Jays traded Chase De Jong and Tim Locastro to the Los Angeles Dodgers for three international signing slots. Toronto used this trade to ink Guerrero Jr. to a deal. The 18-year-old third baseman still has a lot to learn, but also looks like a superstar in the making.
Through his first 576 trips to the plate between 2016 and 2017, Guerrero Jr. is slashing .295/.385/.456. He has two more walks than strikeouts and a pretty good power bat. Although he is not having as astounding of a year as Bichette, Guerrero Jr. is a year younger. Like Bichette, though, defense has not been his forte. It’s possible he also moves to the outfield by the time he’s ready for the show.
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The Blue Jays need to rebuild soon. The 2017 squad has not played well and many of their core players are free agents in the next two years. When they do eventually trade Josh Donaldson and others, they will look to stock the farm with more talent. At least two positions should be filled by this pair—wherever on the field they end up.