Toronto Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reacts perfectly to strikeout

Strikeouts happen to the best of hitters. Sometimes, a batter is just looking for a different pitch and gets fooled. When that pitch they were not expecting is right down the heart of the plate, as was the case with Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., they know they let a mistake go by.

Guerrero knew he let such a pitch go by when Gerrit Cole struck him out in the bottom of the third on Monday night. His reaction told the entire story.

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Valdimir Guerrero Jr. knew he had a pitch to hammer

It is not often that Guerrero is fooled at the plate. He had struck out just six times in 39 plate appearances heading into Monday, and had drawn eight walks. His career 17.0% strikeout rate is well below the league average, and he has seen that number drop each year in the majors.

Likewise, given the opposition, it is even more understandable that Guerrero would be upset with himself. Cole is one of the best pitchers in the game and is not likely to groove a fastball right down the middle of the plate. With the way that he has been swinging the bat in the early going, that was a pitch that Guerrero should have been able to launch.

Instead, it was a missed opportunity. Cole cruised through his start, allowing just one run on three hits and a walk in his six innings while striking out eight batters. Guerrero, meanwhile, was 1-4 with two strikeouts, including that one in the third inning that he wishes he could have back.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was not happy with his strikeout in the third inning. The Toronto Blue Jays star knew he had a pitch to hammer that he let pass by.