TORONTO — Say hello to Playoff Vladdy. He was worth the wait.
In his very first at-bat of the ALDS against the Yankees, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. launched his first career postseason home run, a towering shot to left field that took its time falling into the Blue Jays†bullpen while Guerrero rounded the bases. What a moment for the face of the franchise.
The Blue Jays†10-1 win, this organizationâ€s first postseason win since Game 4 of the 2016 ALCS, immediately tilts the ALDS in their favor. Itâ€s the first postseason win of Guerreroâ€s career, too, and while heâ€s still planning on 10 more of these to bring a World Series trophy back to Canada, Saturday at Rogers Centre was a fine start and a major statement.
“Iâ€ve been [in the postseason] in 2020, 2022 and 2023, and this is my first win, and I feel very proud that as a team we did it all together,†Guerrero said postgame.
In postseason history, teams that win Game 1 in any best-of-five series have gone on to win the series 113 of 156 times (72.4%). In Division Series with the current 2-2-1 format, teams that win Game 1 at home have advanced 40 of 54 times (74.1%).
Vladdy hadnâ€t homered since Sept. 5, either, and following that, heâ€d posted just a .592 OPS down the stretch while the Blue Jays flirted with handing the AL East to the Yankees. If the Blue Jays are finally going to shift the balance in baseballâ€s powerhouse division, it needs to begin and end with Guerrero, the $500 million man who has been waiting for a swing like this on a stage like this.
The home run came on a changeup from Yankees starter Luis Gil, but it was already evident that Guerrero was hunting. On the second pitch of the at-bat, which he fouled back, Guerrero uncorked one of the biggest, wildest swings weâ€ve seen from him all season. Guerrero is always at his best when heâ€s letting it rip, even if there are some big hacks mixed in.
John Schneider, whoâ€s managed Guerrero since back to his days as the “next big thing†in the Minor Leagues, knows a Guerrero heater when he sees it. Pregame Saturday, Schneider lit up talking about Guerrero, saying that the break for the bye through the Wild Card Series was extremely important to Guerrero, who had an opportunity to exhale, clean up his mechanics and get back to who he is as a baseball player.
A half-inning later, the raucous crowd was already chanting Guerreroâ€s name again. With a runner on first, Guerrero made a diving grab on a broken-bat flare from Ryan McMahon, popped up, then scampered back to the bag to double off Jazz Chisholm Jr. Sprinting off the field after ending the inning all by himself, “Vladdy! Vladdy! Vladdy!†rained down on him.
“I mean, I think they donâ€t realize it, but Iâ€ve always got that — I always focus on, if Iâ€m not hitting, I always focus on defense,” Guerrero said about his prowess at first base. “Weâ€ve got to help the starting [pitcher], and to me, defense is like everything you do for the team. You hit, and you play defense, too.â€
Discover more from 6up.net
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.