The young Blue Jays slugger, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., cares little about the rankings, he considers himself to be at the top of the wave.
TAMPA, Florida — In his first five years in the Big leagues (MLB), Dominican Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has attended three of four Star Games that have been held, has a Gold Glove and averages 32 home runs and 99 RBIs per 162 games.
However, the Toronto Blue Jays first baseman has been relegated to secondary positions on different lists, whether of the best MLB players or favorites to win the award. Most valuable Player (MVP) in your league, for the 2024 season.
Three weeks ago, ESPN baseball specialists placed Guerrero Jr. in the position number 35 in the ranking of 100 best baseball players today. On Thursday, the same group chose fellow Dominicans Juan Soto, of the New York Yankees, and Julio Rodríguez, of the Seattle Mariners, as the favorites to win the MVP of the American League this year.
In the channel classification of the major leaguesGuerrero was ranked 52nd among the best hundred for the current tournament.
“Without disrespecting anyone, I think I’m the best,” Guerrero told ESPN Digital before the opening match of the Blue Jaysin St. Petersburg, against the Tampa Bay Rays.
“Every day I wake up looking to be better and leave behind the day that happened, it doesn’t matter if I went 5-5 or 5-0. I focus on the next day,” he added.
“That is their opinion, it is not the opinion I have about myself. I respect everyone’s opinion, but it is not what I feel I am, everyone has their decision,” he said.
Guerrero Jr., who is the son of the member of the Hall of Fame of the same name, had average performances in his first two seasons with the Blue Jays, but in 2021 he jumped to the level of Superstar which was predicted since he was signed at age 16 with a $4 million bonus.
The 22-year-old slugger hit .311 with 48 home runs, 123 runs scored and 111 runs scored, falling behind Japan’s Shohei Ohtani in the battle for MVP of the young circuit. In the next two seasons he accumulated star player statistics, but he was not among the best in the league.
That is the main reason why, at 25 years old and with an excellent OPS percentage (.844) in his career, Guerrero has been displaced on the lists of evaluators and analysts.
“None of that adds to or subtracts from me. My thing is to stay firm. The only one who can judge me is God,” Guerrero said.
Guerrero, who has only lost nine games for his team in the last four years, said he sees himself fighting for the American League MVP this season if he stays healthy. When ESPN Digital asked him who his rivals would be in a hypothetical race for the MVPGuerrero mentioned three names.
“Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. Oh, and Bo Bichette. Those three,” Guerrero said of the Yankees duo and his teammate.
