Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had some major expectations to live up to when he arrived in the majors. The Toronto Blue Jays first baseman was not only considered one of the top prospects in the game, but he also had quite the family legacy. His father, Vladimir Guerrero, was a Hall of Fame outfielder who was one of the greatest players in Expos history.
Thus far, the son has lived up to the high bar set by his father. As pointed out by Hector Gomez, both Guerrero’s notched 221 RBI in their first 350 major league games.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. living up to legacy
Guerrero Jr. had big shoes to fill. His father was a nine time All Star and won the Silver Slugger award eight times. The 2004 AL MVP posted a lifetime .318/.379/.553 batting line in his 16 year career, belting 449 homers and 477 doubles while stealing 181 bases.
While his son is not going to match the speed, he has impressed with the bat lately. Guerrero Jr. had a relatively disappointing first two seasons in the majors before dedicating himself to getting in shape. The results were obvious in 2021 as he led the majors with 48 homers and 123 runs scored while posting a .311/.401/.601 batting line as he finished second in the MVP vote.
He is certainly picking up where he left off. Guerrero Jr. had a three homer game on Wednesday, almost singlehandedly sending the Blue Jays to their victory over the Yankees. If he can continue at this pace, he will generate consideration for the AL MVP once again, perhaps joining his father as the first father-son duo to win the MVP award.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has matched his father’s RBI total through his first 350 games. The Toronto Blue Jays star is living up to those high expectations.