Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Is a Famous person Once more

If you happen to’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 very best 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 improper. Once you’re the man starring within the Uncrustables adverts, followers count on a crust-free efficiency on the sphere, too.

Guerrero made a reputation for himself in 2021, which was no simple job contemplating the man 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 subsequent two years corroding his golden status. To be clear, nobody who is aware of what they’re speaking about ever thought he was a nasty ballplayer — heck, he set a brand new file for the highest wage ever awarded in an arbitration listening to this previous offseason — however his efficiency actually went downhill. If all you have been evaluating him to was the very best model of himself (like that motivational poster in your fitness center all the time tells you to do), he actually was fairly disappointing final yr:

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 workers completed fifth within the majors in WAR, and their protection gained the AL staff Gold Glove. The offense, nevertheless, got here up quick too typically, ending 14th in baseball in runs scored. In 2023, a celebrity season from Guerrero was all of the Blue Jays have been lacking. This yr, 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 prime 10 AL place gamers with 4.0 WAR. His 167 wRC+ is fifth finest amongst certified batters in both league, trailing solely Aaron Decide, Juan Soto, Bobby Witt Jr., and Shohei Ohtani. He additionally ranks among the many prime 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 finally trickle all the way down to the non-baseball followers within the GTA that Guerrero, the very best participant on the staff, not sucks (although he by no means actually did).

In the end, whether or not Guerrero thrives or flounders, he could by no means escape comparisons to his 2021 efficiency. Final yr, celebrity Vladdy was lengthy gone. This yr, 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 nearly an identical in 2021 and ’24, I’m within the small variations which have led him to a different celebrity season.

For one factor, post-All-Star break Guerrero is at present having fun with a run not like 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 finest 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 elements at TD Ballpark and Sahlen Area, the place the Blue Jays performed their residence video games for the primary 4 months of the 2021 season. All the identical, it’s onerous to disclaim that Guerrero is taking part in the very best baseball of his profession proper now. Solely 4 different gamers have had a better 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 dimension, it’s nearly a certain guess that he’s on his strategy 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 frequent 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 for the reason that 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 yr, he’s on tempo for a mere 33 bombs. Certainly, his residence run manufacturing might be the largest distinction between his offensive profile in 2021 and ’24. Nonetheless, 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 Area in Buffalo. That’s a 77-homer tempo over a full season… at a few minor league stadiums. To be truthful, 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. Nonetheless, it’s vital to take into account that residence runs have 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 value, Guerrero is on tempo for 17 homers on the highway this yr, which might match his output from 2021.

It’s additionally value mentioning {that a} ton of the house runs Guerrero has not hit have landed for doubles as a substitute; 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’ll be able to’t take a look at his .585 xSLG and counsel he hasn’t earned his success. Guerrero stays a severe energy risk, even when he’s hitting fewer residence runs.

One final notable distinction between Guerrero’s offensive numbers in 2021 and ’24 comes by the use of the sorts of pitches he’s hitting. In 2021, Guerrero feasted on four-seam fastballs — greater than every other hitter within the quick 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 the same charge, 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 have been in 2021:

Alternatively, his numbers towards all different pitches are the very best 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 combination. Nonetheless, Guerrero’s robust efficiency towards non-fastballs means he has been much less weak in pitcher-friendly counts this yr, and I’m wondering if that has given him the liberty to be slightly choosier together with his swings. He’s swinging at fewer pitches within the zone this yr, 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 yr ranks fifth within the majors and is already tied together with his +11 RV on swings from 2021. He’s one in all solely 22 certified batters (out of 300) with a constructive run worth on swings. Unsurprisingly, his success on swings has performed an enormous function in his general success.

The one disappointing variations between Guerrero’s two finest seasons have come not on the plate, however within the different elements of his sport. Sadly, he’s placing up a few of 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 straight and not directly) about how Guerrero may get again to his peak type. They have been all good concepts — hit fewer pitches however hit them more durable, restrict groundballs, pull extra fly balls within the 95-105 mph EV bucket — however in the end, 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 quite a lot of baseballs and hit them silly onerous. The outcomes communicate for themselves. He could look slightly totally different, however in nearly all of the ways in which matter, the 2021 model of Vladdy is again.