“Guerrero hits one to left field, and this is carrying and this is gone! Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with his second home run of the season,” the announcement was echoing loudly in the Bronx on April 26th when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. clinched his second home run of the season. With the same momentum, the Toronto Blue Jays won the Saturday game against the Yankees. However, for the Blue Jays, the trip to the Bronx wasn’t that successful, as they concluded their New York trip with two losses against the Yankees. Perhaps, it’s been a rough patch for the Toronto Blue Jays at the moment.

At least, it’s starting to look that way for those who thought, “The runs will come,” only to find out that the team garnered just nine in the six games. Their outfield crisis continues; however, their superstar first baseman, Vladimir Guerrero Jr, hasn’t been in the best form despite winning his fans’ trust after signing an extension of $500M with the Blue Jays. After Vladdy Jr has posted two home runs, the stats are not very promising – 12 RBIs at a .272 average, with a .372 OBP and a .760 OPS.

Following this, the fans started speculating- is Vladdy Jr the biggest letdown in his role right now?

Well, MLB insider David Schoenfield thinks so. The team’s performance was somewhat impacted by his difficulties, which undoubtedly cast a gloomy shadow over them. David Schoenfield’s verdict on Vladdy Jr was prompted by this, highlighting his difficulties in putting up high numbers.

According to him, there are other first basemen as well who had poor starts this season. Despite receiving an enormous contract extension, Vladdy Jr has fallen short of expectations, even though it is too soon to judge a player given the number of games left. As per Schoenfield, “there are many first basemen having worse starts than Guerrero. However, when you sign a $500 million contract, the pressure to put up big numbers increases exponentially — and two home runs and 12 RBIs per month isn’t going to cut it. The good news for the Blue Jays is Guerrero got off to a similarly slow April last season before hitting over .300 in each of the final five months of the regular season.”

Let’s not forget that this isn’t the first time – it’s the second year that Vladdy Jr has got off to a poor start in the power department.

Moving Vladimir Guerrero Jr to the third spot in the batting order is the best way to get started, especially since the Blue Jays struggled greatly with their power hitting ability and even Bo Bichette did not record a single home run this season. 

Vladdy Jr has a stellar record while batting in the third position. Compared to his current position’s .760 OPS, he had a significantly higher OPS of .911. More significantly, Vladdy Jr hit a home run on average every 4.3 games. Perhaps not a major move at the moment, but it’s now impossible to ignore considering the glaring issues they are facing lately in the wake of their poor offensive production.

We must all wait to see how this move, if done correctly, turns out. However, amid the struggles, the Blue Jays have finally managed to break their five consecutive losses streak. Manager John Schneider has delivered a strong message to Vladdy Jr after their win.

Ever thought, What message did he send?

Blue Jays manager sends a strong message to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. amid early-season struggles 

There is some good news for Blue Jays fans amid the commotion and controversy surrounding Vladimir Guerrero Jr’s position change after he was unable to find his rhythm. The Toronto Blue Jays finally ended their losing streak and gained an emphatic win against the New York Yankees on Friday. They are currently at 13-15, ranked fourth in the American League East division.

However, Guerrero Jr’s modest run—which included a solo home run at a modest .745 OPS—was more significant because it demonstrated his success in the Bronx. Not to forget that it was his fifteenth home run in the same stadium and also the highest he has ever hit when playing in the opponent’s home ground. Manager John Schneider, when asked about Vladdy Jr’s success in New York, said, “It’s no secret. As Vlad goes, we go, and hopefully he has a good stay here in New York.” 

Guerrero Jr struggled last year too, where he managed only 30 home runs and 103 RBIs. However, he had a good batting average of .323 with a .396 OBP and a .940 OPS. Be it the mounting pressure of the massive contract or the lack of power packed performance, that is causing the problem. What’s more important for the team is to find their way at the plate and get things in the right place as soon as possible, don’t you think?