Vladi Jr. Is Just The 15th Creole With 40 Home Runs
When Vladimir Guerrero Jr. kicked the ball out of the park in the first episode of Monday’s game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees against Jameson Taillon and reached 40 homers on the season, he became just the 15th Dominican to reach. said achievement in the majors.
He joins a small group that was started by George Bell, who hit 47 home runs in 1987, also with the Blue Jays.
Alex Rodríguez hit 40 or more home runs eight times in his career, followed by Sammy Sosa and Albert Pujols (seven each); Manny Ramírez (five times); Nelson Cruz (four); David Ortiz and José Bautista did it three times.
Bell, Adrián Beltré, Tony Batista, Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Peña did it once each.
But when he did so at just 22 years old and in his third season in the majors, Guerrero Jr. not only became the youngest player in the history of the Toronto franchise to reach the mark, but he has many opportunities to repeat the career. a feat in the near future.
On the season, Guerrero Jr. now has a .319 / .409 / .603 percentage line.
In addition to hitting 40 home runs, he also had 98 RBIs and 105 runs.
Father And Son
By joining their father as the only Dominican father-son pair to hit 40 home runs in major league seasons, they also became only the second duo in major league history to do so.
Cecil Fielder (1990 and 1991, with 51 and 44 home runs respectively) and Prince Fielder (2007 and 2009, with 50 and 46) is the only other father-son pair to do so.
Following The Immortal Footsteps
If Vladi Jr. has shown anything in his first three seasons in the majors, it is that he can do anything at the plate.
That, despite the fact that he had a complicated adaptation process in his first two campaigns, including the issue of his weight, which he managed to control after the pandemic campaign in 2020.
But in terms of production, there is nothing that his father has done, that the son has failed to imitate, almost to the last point.
Guerrero Jr. has 64 home runs and has driven in 200 runs in his first 318 major league games.
His father hit 64 home runs and drove in 198 runs in his first 318 games with the Montreal Expos.
Pedro Congratulates Him
Just minutes after hitting his 40th homer of the season, Cooperstown’s immortal, and three-time Cy Young Award winner, Pedro Martinez congratulated Guerrero Jr. on the home run feat.
“My personal pride and that of all Latinos who love you, dear godson. Blessings always, ”Martínez wrote on his personal Twitter account @ 45pedromartinez, about the feat.
