1. Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., 3B
Birthday: 3/16/1999 (19)
Acquired: International free agent, July 2015
Level(s): GCL Blue Jays, high-A Dunedin, AA New Hampshire, AAA Buffalo
Statistics: .381/.437/.636, 95 G, 408 PA, 29 2B, 20 HR, 9.1% BB, 9.3% K
The top overall prospect in our recently-done top 150 prospects list, Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. is the Toronto Blue Jays next superstar player. Being the son of a Hall of Fame player, he’s been in the spotlight his entire life, but he’s ready now to take on the spotlight of the major leagues.
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Quite frankly, there is nothing at the plate that Vladdy cannot do. He has the best hit tool I’ve ever witnessed in a minor league player. Most players adjust their hit tool when facing big league pitching to get that final polish, but Vlad already shows that polish, leading me to believe he’ll be a .300+ hitter right off the bat.
Vladdy pounds the walls with hard contact, but often he hits things on such a hard line that they don’t end up going out simply because they don’t rise over 7-8 feet in the air the entire time. That could mean that Vladdy will spend a few years pounding out more like 30-40 doubles and 20 home runs, but as he matures into the league, he has the natural power to believe that he will be a perennial 30+ home run hitter as well.
Where he will play defensively with that kind of bat honestly doesn’t really matter, but he has worked hard to at least be passable at third base. His strong arm could eventually lead to an outfield spot, but where he plays defensively is of little consequence as long as his bat is in the lineup.
Toronto Blue Jays fans should see Vladdy by May 1st, though he’ll not be in the Opening Day lineup in order to get an extra year of control. While it stinks to wait, once he’s up, Vlad will be fun to watch.
The top prospect in all of the game and another in the top 10-15 give the Toronto Blue Jays plenty to look forward to this season, but there’s much more than just the top of this list to get excited about in the Toronto Blue Jays farm system.