Vladimir Guerrero Jr. / Capture by MLB Network
The Toronto Blue Jays will play at their home, the Rogers Center, at 3:00 pm on Sunday, October 3. And that could be a historic game, regardless of how the Canadians fight to obtain their place in the playoffs goes. That day could also be the best day of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s life as a player. Or maybe not. Everything will depend on what you can do in the three weeks that are going to start.
Guerrero is finishing firmly and this Sunday he established himself as the batting leader of the American League. The young Dominican Republic star went 3-1 against the Baltimore Orioles. And that one was a home run, his 44th this MLB season, which also put him on top of home runs.
Now the right-hander dominates two of the three categories that make up the coveted Triple Crown. For the first time since July, when he looked packed toward the feat, he looks like a steadfast candidate to enter the record book as Miguel Cabrera’s successor.
Guerrero leads the American with a .322 average and shares the top in homers with Japan’s Shohei Ohtani. And in the third department, the RBI, he is fifth on his circuit with 102, but only 5 trailers behind the first position.
Cabrera is the latest Triple Crown winner of batting in MLB. And he is also the only Hispanic American on the list. It’s such a difficult feat to accomplish on the Big Show that he has barely accomplished it since the legendary Carl Yastrzemski accomplished his more than half a century ago, in 1967.
These are the very few chosen:
AMERICAN LEAGUE
- 2012 Miguel Cabrera (Detroit Tigers), with 44/139 / .330.
- 1967 Carl Yastrzemski (Boston Red Sox), 44/121 / .326.
- 1966 Frank Robinson (Orioles de Baltimore), con 49/122/.316.
- 1956 Mickey Mantle (New York Yankees), 52/130 / .353.
- 1947 Ted Williams (Boston Red Sox), with 32/114 / .343.
- 1942 Ted Williams (Boston Red Sox), 36/137 / .356.
- 1934 Lou Gehrig (New York Yankees), with 49/165 / .363.
- 1933 Jimmie Foxx (Philadelphia Athletics), 48/163 / .356.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
- 1937 Joe Medwick (St. Louis Cardinals), with 31/154 / .374.
- 1933 Chuck Klein (Filis de Filadelfia), con 28/120/.368.
- 1925 Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis Cardinals), 39/143 / .403.
- 1922 Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis Cardinals), 42/152 / .401.
Yes, everyone is in the Hall of Fame, except Cabrera, who will enter Cooperstown once he retires from active baseball.
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE
The biggest challenge for Guerrero Jr. seems to be the RBI lead right now.
The Montreal-born Dominican has his own destiny in his hands in the home run and average department, in a way. He does not depend on third parties in those categories, except for the obvious detail that he will fight Ohtani and Venezuelan Salvador Pérez in home runs, and that he has contenders who stalk him with a .315 average: Cuban Yuli Gurriel and Michael Brantley.
But Guerrero just has to keep doing what he has done so far: hitting for average and taking balls out of the park. Doing so, of course, will enhance your option in both fights.
To be the ultimate pusher, however, he needs his teammates to be in circulation with high frequency as he goes to bat. And he also has more opponents, who surpass or equal him at the beginning of the final stretch that these three weeks mark.
The Cuban José Abreu (105), Pérez (105) and the Dominicans Teoscar Hernández (102) and Rafael Devers (102) are above or next to Guerrero. Matt Olson (98) and Austin Meadows (98) chase him at a distance similar to that which separates him from the top.
You will have help. The Blue Jays’ lineup is one of the most on-base in the Major Leagues and is the second that scores the most runs in 2021. His home, the Rogers Center, like weeks ago Sahlen Field in Buffalo and TD Ballpark in Dunedin, they are stadiums designed for hitters. They boost the offense. As all the stages of the AL East division generally do.
Also read: Times of change: Venezuela has new aces in the MLB
The period that begins now can be exciting. Guerrero is only 22 years old. Not only is he in the middle of an almost unthinkable career in the Major Leagues. Also, he does it at an unexpected age to shine like that.
The 44th home run came off the Orioles’ weak pitching. And Baltimore will be the rival of the last weekend, when they finish the 21 days that remain in this remarkable search. Sunday October 3 It could be a historic day at the Rogers Center.
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