Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the runner-up in last year’s MVP award voting process in the American League, hasn’t been quite as dominant in 2022.
Before Tuesday’s games, Guerrero is hitting .265/.357/.506 with 17 home runs and a .863 OPS.
While very good, that .863 OPS doesn’t come close to the 1.002 mark he had last season.
Things, however, are starting to look up for the hulking first baseman.
“Heating up again: Vladdy is @MLB‘s AL Player of the Week,” the Blue Jays’ Twitter account wrote on Tuesday afternoon.
Heating up again 👀
Vladdy is @MLB's AL Player of the Week 💥 pic.twitter.com/degR50RcwJ
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 21, 2022
Guerrero hit three home runs last week, hitting .407 and posting a 1.278 OPS.
His seven RBI helped the Blue Jays win several games, too.
Guerrero Is An Otherworldly Hitter
Even if he finishes with an OPS around his current mark, the baseball universe will recognize Guerrero as an incredible hitter.
We know, however, that he is capable of much, much more.
The good thing is that he is starting to heat up, and it goes well beyond last week.
In the last 15 games, the slugger is hitting .310/.412/.603 with five home runs.
That is awfully similar to the .311/.401/.601 line he had last year in his quest for the MVP award that Shohei Ohtani ended up taking home.
While he may not be able to get over the 1.000 OPS threshold like last year, it’s evident that Guerrero is significantly better than his current .863 OPS mark.
The Blue Jays obviously know this, and will pencil his name in the lineup day in and day out, reaping the benefits in the process.
He is one of the best five hitters in MLB, and this recent award is just a reminder of his immense abilities.
