The Blue Jays are headed to the Bronx for their first head-to-head showdown of 2023 against the Yankees. It’s a little tougher than usual to watch the games (Friday is on Apple TV+, and Saturday is on ESPN+), but it should be a fun series to follow. Do you know who else is probably excited about it? Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
This will also be the first time he gets to face the Yankees since talking about how much he loves playing against them. Vladito has apparently taken the Ken Griffey Jr. route when discussing the possibility of ever signing with the Bombers:
I like to play in New York, I like to kill the Yankees. I would never sign with the Yankees, not even dead.
Here’s the clip of him saying the above:
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: "I like to play in New York, I like to kill the Yankees. I would never sign with the Yankees, not even dead."
(via @ElDotolNastra)
— Héctor Gómez (@hgomez27) November 5, 2022
I suppose Vlad Sr. drilled it into his son’s head that rule no. 1 of being a baseball player is to beat the Yankees. Guerrero isn’t set to hit free agency until 2026. You’d have to think Toronto would try and lock him up before them. Even if he did reach the open market, Jays fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that he at least wouldn’t go play for New York.
Unlike Shohei Ohtani, who loves playing at Yankee Stadium despite not putting up huge numbers, Vlad Jr. has the stats to back it up.
Guerrero has racked up 272 plate appearances so far in his career against the Bombers. It’s led to a .289/.346/.518 line with 13 home runs, 14 doubles, 41 RBI, and 27 runs scored. Most of his damage has come at Yankee Stadium, too. Across 131 plate appearances, the right-handed slugger is slashing .289/.344/.579 with 10 homers, five doubles, 17 RBI, and 16 runs scored as a visiting player.
This includes a memorable three-homer performance last April in the Bronx:
We’ll see what kind of encore he has in store for Yankees fans in attendance this weekend. Vlad has just four extra-base hits through his first 86 plate appearances this season (one double, three homers), but he’s still hitting .338/.419/.473.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
