Most MLB sluggers have a preferred spot where they can display all of their power: some want to extend their arms and like pitches on the outside part of the zone, and others are high-ball hitters, and others can only punish pitches in the middle of the strike zone.
Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr., however, has no real weaknesses as a hitter, and can punish balls in any part of the zone, even some that are slightly outside of it.
During Wednesday night’s power exhibition in which he hit three home runs (two with stitches in his finger) and a double, Guerrero put on a hitting clinic.
Perhaps more importantly, he reminded MLB pitchers that there is no set strategy to get him out: he can hit fastballs, breaking balls, and changeups located in any part of the strike zone.
His father, Vladimir Guerrero, famously hit home runs on bad pitches: in the dirt, way outside, or even inside, Vlad senior was a true hitting machine.
Like Father, Like Son
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Vladdy was met with an inside pitch last night, one that an average MLB hitter would probably have swung at with no contact, or even worse, hit a little popup or chopper.
But Vladdy is no average hitter: as Andrew Mearns of Pinstripe Alley tweeted, he hit it a mile.
“lol Vladdy hit this 427 feet,” Mearns said, with a picture of the point of contact.
See it yourself: a picture is worth a thousand words.
lol Vladdy hit this 427 feet pic.twitter.com/GZef4HU0y1
— Andrew Mearns (@MearnsPSA) April 14, 2022
That wasn’t on the inside part of the zone: that was a ball, and Guerrero was still able to make the adjustments on his body and hit it 427 feet.
Many times, we assume that every home run that a pitcher allows is his own fault.
But that’s not true: there is no way we can chalk this up to the pitcher.
Kudos to Guerrero.
NEXT: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Quickly Moved Past A Gruesome Injury