Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Is a Superstar Again

For those who’re talking with somebody from Toronto who doesn’t observe baseball, they’ll in all probability inform you two issues concerning the Blue Jays. The primary is that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the most effective participant on the staff. The second is that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sucks.

The primary level is fairly correct, and it’s completely true this season — extra on that in a second. The second level is categorically false, however alas, such is the curse of superstardom. The participant who has his face on posters throughout the town goes to get loads of credit score when issues go proper, however he’s additionally going to shoulder an extreme quantity of criticism when issues go mistaken. Once you’re the man starring within the Uncrustables adverts, followers anticipate a crust-free efficiency on the sphere, too.

Guerrero made a reputation for himself in 2021, which was no straightforward job contemplating the person with whom he shares his identify. But, with 48 residence runs, 111 RBI, and a runner-up end for AL MVP, Guerrero gave the common Torontonian a cause to speak about baseball for the primary time since José Bautista was punched within the face. Then, Guerrero spent the following two years corroding his golden repute. To be clear, nobody who is aware of what they’re speaking about ever thought he was a foul ballplayer — heck, he set a brand new report for the very best wage ever awarded in an arbitration listening to this previous offseason — however his efficiency actually went downhill. If all you had been evaluating him to was the most effective model of himself (like that motivational poster in your gymnasium all the time tells you to do), he actually was fairly disappointing final 12 months:

All that’s to say, the criticism Guerrero confronted wasn’t totally unwarranted, even when it was overblown. The one factor the Blue Jays wanted final season was a star-caliber efficiency from their star-caliber participant. Their pitching employees completed fifth within the majors in WAR, and their protection gained the AL staff Gold Glove. The offense, nevertheless, got here up brief too typically, ending 14th in baseball in runs scored. In 2023, a famous person season from Guerrero was all of the Blue Jays had been lacking. This 12 months, in a bitter coincidence, it’s nearly all they’ve.

Certainly, whereas Toronto sits in final place within the AL East, Guerrero ranks among the many high 10 AL place gamers with 4.0 WAR. His 167 wRC+ is fifth greatest amongst certified batters in both league, trailing solely Aaron Decide, Juan Soto, Bobby Witt Jr., and Shohei Ohtani. He additionally ranks among the many high 5 hitters in OBP (.394), wOBA (.404), xwOBA (.414), and wRAA (39.5). His bat is each bit as potent because it was when he burst onto the scene. If he retains this up, phrase will ultimately trickle right down to the non-baseball followers within the GTA that Guerrero, the most effective participant on the staff, not sucks (although he by no means actually did).

Finally, whether or not Guerrero thrives or flounders, he might by no means escape comparisons to his 2021 efficiency. Final 12 months, famous person Vladdy was lengthy gone. This 12 months, he’s again in all his glory. With that in thoughts, I’d like to supply my very own comparability that’s hopefully slightly extra significant than the “It’s so over/We’re so again” meme. Whereas his complete offensive stats (i.e. wRC+) are virtually similar in 2021 and ’24, I’m within the small variations which have led him to a different famous person season.

For one factor, post-All-Star break Guerrero is at the moment having fun with a run in contrast to something we’ve ever seen from him earlier than:

To place the numbers on that graph into perspective, the distinction between Guerrero over his previous 25 video games and Guerrero’s greatest 25 video games at every other stretch in his profession is 63 factors of wRC+. That’s the distinction between Barry Bonds (profession 173 wRC+) and Adam LaRoche (110 wRC+). That’s nuts.

Bonkers comps apart, I’d take the precise numbers with a grain of salt, since we don’t have an awesome sense of the park components at TD Ballpark and Sahlen Discipline, the place the Blue Jays performed their residence video games for the primary 4 months of the 2021 season. All the identical, it’s exhausting to disclaim that Guerrero is taking part in the most effective baseball of his profession proper now. Solely 4 different gamers have had the next OPS throughout any 25-game stretch (restricted to a single season) over the previous 10 years: Decide (2022, ’24), Ohtani (’23), Bryce Harper (’15), and Giancarlo Stanton (’17). Normally when a man hits like this, even in such a small pattern measurement, it’s virtually a certain wager that he’s on his solution to successful an MVP.

On the purpose of small pattern sizes, I ought to make clear this isn’t a sustainable run for Guerrero. If widespread sense couldn’t inform you that, then his .432 BABIP ought to. Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply he hasn’t earned his success. This 100-PA rolling xwOBA graph appears a complete lot just like the 25-game rolling wRC+ graph I included above:

One cause Guerrero’s numbers are so eye-popping as of late is that he has hit 11 residence runs because the All-Star break. That matches his highest residence run output from any 25-game stretch in 2021. But, he had way more of these stretches that season, ending with a significant league-leading 48 residence runs. This 12 months, he’s on tempo for a mere 33 bombs. Certainly, his residence run manufacturing might be the most important distinction between his offensive profile in 2021 and ’24. Nevertheless, that distinction won’t be as significant because it seems.

Firstly, Guerrero crushed 11 residence runs over 21 video games at TD Ballpark in Dunedin and added one other 10 over 23 video games at Sahlen Discipline in Buffalo. That’s a 77-homer tempo over a full season… at a few minor league stadiums. To be honest, Guerrero crushed one other 10 bombs in 36 video games as soon as the Blue Jays returned to Rogers Centre, which remains to be a 45-homer tempo. Nevertheless, it’s necessary to take into account that residence runs had been up throughout the league in 2021 in comparison with ’24. What’s extra, the Blue Jays made vital renovations to Rogers Centre which have made the ballpark far much less homer-friendly over the previous two seasons. For what it’s price, Guerrero is on tempo for 17 homers on the highway this 12 months, which might match his output from 2021.

It’s additionally price declaring {that a} ton of the house runs Guerrero has not hit have landed for doubles as an alternative; the slugger has climbed down doubles to dingers mountain. Whereas his residence run output is down in comparison with 2021, he’s on tempo for 78 extra-base hits, which might match his complete from that season. Certainly, he’s solely 4 doubles away from setting a brand new profession excessive. As soon as once more, this isn’t totally sustainable — Guerrero’s .225 BABIP on fly balls is greater than twice the league common — however you possibly can’t take a look at his .585 xSLG and counsel he hasn’t earned his success. Guerrero stays a critical energy menace, even when he’s hitting fewer residence runs.

One final notable distinction between Guerrero’s offensive numbers in 2021 and ’24 comes by means of the varieties of pitches he’s hitting. In 2021, Guerrero feasted on four-seam fastballs — greater than every other hitter within the brief historical past of Baseball Savant’s pitch arsenal stats (’19-present). Per Savant, he supplied 34 runs of worth towards four-seamers that season. He additionally added one other six runs of worth towards sinkers. In 2024, Guerrero is seeing heaters at an identical fee, however he has not been almost as productive towards them. He has a +6 RV towards four-seamers and a impartial 0 RV towards sinkers. His numbers towards fastballs (not together with cutters) are nonetheless above common, however they’re a far cry from what they had been in 2021:

However, his numbers towards all different pitches are the most effective they’ve ever been:

All issues thought-about, it doesn’t actually matter which pitch sorts a batter succeeds towards so long as he’s producing the identical worth within the mixture. Nevertheless, Guerrero’s sturdy efficiency towards non-fastballs means he has been much less weak in pitcher-friendly counts this 12 months, and I’m wondering if that has given him the liberty to be slightly choosier along with his swings. He’s swinging at fewer pitches within the zone this 12 months, resulting in extra referred to as strikes. When he chooses to hack, nevertheless, his outcomes are higher than ever. His run worth of +11 on swings this 12 months ranks fifth within the majors and is already tied along with his +11 RV on swings from 2021. He’s certainly one of solely 22 certified batters (out of 300) with a optimistic run worth on swings. Unsurprisingly, his success on swings has performed an enormous position in his total success.

The one disappointing variations between Guerrero’s two greatest seasons have come not on the plate, however within the different facets of his recreation. Sadly, he’s placing up among the worst baserunning and defensive metrics of his profession. As you may think, that’s actually saying one thing. Guerrero ranks final amongst first basemen in Fielding Run Worth and third worst amongst all gamers in BsR. Thus, he’s “solely” on tempo for five.3 WAR, a full win lower than his 6.3 WAR in 2021. It’s not the top of the world, however even for a bat-only first baseman, there’s a significant distinction between poor protection and baserunning and atrocious protection and baserunning:

We’ve written fairly a bit right here at FanGraphs (each instantly and not directly) about how Guerrero may get again to his peak kind. They had been all good concepts — hit fewer pitches however hit them tougher, restrict groundballs, pull extra fly balls within the 95-105 mph EV bucket — however finally, Guerrero did it his personal manner. He’s making extra contact, hitting extra grounders, and pulling lower than ever. He’s additionally utilizing his outstanding uncooked energy and exquisite swing to hit lots of baseballs and hit them silly exhausting. The outcomes converse for themselves. He might look slightly totally different, however in virtually all of the ways in which matter, the 2021 model of Vladdy is again.