罢丑别听Blue Jays聽have been one of Major League Baseball鈥檚 best teams since the start of May, and while there are question marks about their ability to maintain that level of success, there鈥檚 at least one reason why it聽could听丑补辫辫别苍.
The recent stretch that saw the Jays go 24-13 has been 鈥 in large part 鈥 the by-product of a聽rejuvenated lineup. A team that ranked near the bottom of just about every major category earlier in the season has been at the top for the better part of six weeks.
The uptick in runs occurred despite not having聽Vladimir Guerrero Jr.聽in top form. The undisputed face of the franchise is still getting a lot of hits, and reaching base just about every game, but he has yet to go on one of the extended runs fans and teammates have come to expect.
If the Jays were losing a lot games, that would be a major concern. Since they鈥檙e not, Guerrero鈥檚 lack of homers might actually be a positive. With that much raw power, the big blasts are going to come, and when they do it could help the Jays avoid any drop-offs that occur elsewhere on the roster.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have the homers that I want, but I always try to find a way to help my team win the game,鈥 Guerrero told The Star in an English-speaking interview prior to Wednesday鈥檚 8-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
鈥淚鈥檓 trying to have good at-bats, grind through them, in any situation. If I have to move the runners, I have to get them in somehow, or maybe try to get on base until I really get going.鈥
Jays manager John Schneider said on Wednesday that when Guerrero hits homers, they usually come in bunches. He was also quick to point out that last year Guerrero had a similar start before catching fire when spring turned into summer.
Schneider鈥檚 not wrong. Through the first 72 games of 2024, Guerrero was batting .276 with seven homers and a .776 on-base plus slugging percentage. Over his final 87 games, the production skyrocketed to a .355 average, 23 homers and a 1.072 OPS.
This season, the numbers through the same number of games aren’t that different. Guerrero is batting .286 with nine homers and an .832 OPS. Does that mean the 26-year-old will be in store for another sensational second half? The Jays certainly hope so.
鈥淲hen he鈥檚 synced up, he can get going real quick,鈥 Schneider said of Guerrero, who went 2-for-2 with a double, three RBIs and three walks on Wednesday. 鈥淗e鈥檚 still hitting the ball hard. He鈥檚 still taking his walks, which is impressive. Minus 2021, when he hit 48 (homers), they tend to come at the same time and hopefully this is one of those times. I think as long as he鈥檚 hitting the ball hard, he鈥檚 going to be fine.鈥
While Guerrero received some criticism for the lack of homers in the weeks that followed his聽franchise record $500-million (U.S.) contract, he鈥檚 still finding ways to contribute. Earlier this year, Guerrero went on a career-high 34-game on-base streak and he ranks sixth in the American League with a .390 on-base percentage. He鈥檚 second with an average exit velocity of 93.6 m.p.h. and fourth with a 54.7 hard-hit ball percentage.
This year 鈥 and 2024 鈥 provides evidence of Guerrero鈥檚 progression as an all-around hitter. When the ball isn鈥檛 leaving the park, a lot of power hitters experience difficulty finding other ways to contribute. That hasn鈥檛 been an issue for Guerrero, who is hitting .360 with runners in scoring position.
Even better, there have been signs of late that Guerrero might be turning the corner. After Wednesday’s multi-hit performance, he’s batting .324 with nine extra-base hits over his last 18 games, which includes the 448-foot blast he hit to left during聽Tuesday鈥檚 5-4 victory over the Diamondbacks.
That home run occurred on the same day that Schneider decided to move Guerrero into the No. 3 hole of the lineup. The big night that followed was likely a coincidence, but historically Guerrero has much better numbers out of that spot. In 241 games batting second, Guerrero has a .265 average and .774 OPS. In 499 games hitting third, he has a .300 average and .915 OPS.
For his part, Guerrero has been open in the past about his preference to hit third and he鈥檚 hoping the new lineup sticks, but he鈥檚 not adamant about it.
鈥淚鈥檝e always liked hitting third,鈥 Guerrero said. 鈥淲hen I saw (Tuesday鈥檚 lineup) I was just happy ... Always in my life I鈥檝e been hitting third. I just started hitting second here in the big leagues. To me, I feel like everything goes quick when I hit second. But I鈥檓 a team player, if they need me second, I鈥檒l bat second. If they want me third, I鈥檒l be third.鈥
If Guerrero鈥檚 power bat really is on the verge of heating up that would come as bad news to the rest of the AL. For the Jays, it would be exactly what they need to keep the current run going.
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