Vlad Jr. to make MLB debut Friday vs. A's
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Blue Jays No. 1 prospect, is not only the No. 1 prospect in baseball, he's one of the most vaunted prospects in baseball history. While hype has a negative impact on some, it doesn't appear to have fazed Guerrero at all. All he's done is rake, hitting .323 in 2017 and following that up in '18 with a .381/.437/.636 line as a 19-year-old in Double- and Triple-A. Here's the latest news on Toronto's phenom:
April 24: Guerrero to make MLB debut Friday vs. A's
Guerrero's highly anticipated Major League debut is finally here. MLB Pipeline's No. 1 prospect is scheduled to join the Blue Jays for Friday night's game against the A's in Toronto, Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo announced Wednesday.
Guerrero, 20, closed out his Minor League career by batting 2-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored for Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday. He owns a career .331/.413/.531 slash line with 44 homers over parts of four seasons in the Minors.
Guerrero's arrival will shift Brandon Drury from third to second base. Veteran infielder Freddy Galvis, who's nursing a sore left hamstring, could land on the injured list to make room on the 25-man roster.
"I think we have to be patient, but I honestly think [Guerrero is] going to do well," Montoyo said. "Whatever happens, we have to be patient. Defensively, offensively, because he's 20 years old. He's comfortable. He's not going to be nervous and scared of the big leagues. ... I think he'll be fine when he comes here." More >
April 24: Guerrero plays third straight game, homers
Playing in a third consecutive game for the first time this season, Guerrero launched his third homer in eight games with Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday afternoon, as the Bisons topped Syracuse, 5-4. The Blue Jays' 20-year-old phenom ripped the opposite-field shot in the seventh inning after picking up a base hit in the fifth. He finished the game 2-for-5 and is now slashing .367/.424/.700 through 12 games -- eight with Buffalo, four with Class A Advanced Dunedin.
The Blue Jays reportedly wanted Guerrero to play on three consecutive days before they promote him, so he appears to have cleared that hurdle. It has been speculated that he might play the first three games of the Syracuse series and then use Thursday as an off-day/travel day before joining the Blue Jays for his Major League debut on Friday vs. Oakland.
April 23: Guerrero set to clear (final?) hurdle
Guerrero saw his average dip to .360 after a 1-for-4 performance that included a pair of strikeouts. But more importantly, Tuesday marked just the fourth time this season that Guerrero has started on consecutive days, and with Buffalo set to take on Syracuse on Wednesday -- and no rain in the forecast -- he's poised to play on three straight days for the first time since coming back from an oblique injury that cost him much of Spring Training. It has been reported that the Blue Jays want Guerrero to play on three consecutive days before they promote him, and he could clear that hurdle on Wednesday.
April 22: Vlad Jr. drives in a run
A combination of Buffalo's schedule and poor inclement weather on the East Coast have made at-bats hard to come by for Guerrero. Prior to Monday, the 20-year-old hadn't recorded an official at-bat since April 17 (he went 2-for-4), but the layoff doesn't seem to be having a huge impact as Guerrero came through with an RBI single in his first at-bat against Syracuse on Monday. Guerrero finished 1-for-4 and is hitting .381 with Buffalo.
April 21: Buffalo off for Easter, long layoff for Vlad
Vlad Jr.'s at-bats have been limited lately through no fault of his own -- Buffalo was off Sunday for the Easter holiday, following Saturday's weather postponement and Friday's rainout. Guerrero hasn't played a full game since Wednesday. There's a chance that will extend his timeline for promotion to the big leagues. The Blue Jays might want to keep Vlad Jr. at Buffalo through at least part of the Bisons' four-game series against Syracuse, which starts on Monday.
April 20: Vlad Jr. walks, game postponed
Triple-A Buffalo's doubleheader was postponed due to weather, with the first game suspended after the first inning. This follows a Friday night rainout that has kept the Blue Jays' affiliate off the field for most of the weekend. Guerrero walked in his lone plate appearance before Saturday's game was suspended.
April 19: Vlad Jr. meets with reporters Friday
Still part of the Triple-A Buffalo roster, Guerrero met with reporters Friday as expected and shared his thoughts on potentially being called up to MLB in the near future.
“You can see; it’s obvious that I’m ready [for the Majors],” he said. “I can’t control what happens, I can only control what I can do myself.”
As he waits for a promotion, Guerrero said he remains focused on his current work at Triple-A and isn’t looking too far ahead.
“I’m not frustrated,” Guerrero said of his current time in Triple-A. “It’s out of my hands. I just continue to play 100%, and when the time comes to get the call, I’ll welcome it.”
Blue Jays fans will have to wait at least a few more days before Guerrero is called up to make his Major League debut.
There was some speculation it might happen as soon as this weekend, but a source confirmed to MLB.com that Vlad Jr. will not be making his Major League debut in Oakland. The exact date for Guerrero's arrival remains unknown, but it won't be this weekend vs. the A's, meaning the earliest the 20-year-old phenom will be promoted is at some point during next week's homestand.
Triple-A Buffalo officially announced Thursday afternoon that Guerrero will be holding a media availability in Buffalo on Friday at 2 p.m. ET.
Guerrero has appeared in five games for the Bisons so far this season and he's batting .412/.500/.824 with two home runs and six RBIs.
April 17: Vlad rips second homer of the season
Guerrero singled during Triple-A Buffalo's seven-run first inning against Pawtucket, and followed up by crushing his second home run with the Bisons, a solo shot well beyond the left-field wall at McCoy Stadium. He finished the night 2-for-4 and is hitting .412 through five games with Buffalo.
Weather issues have limited Guerrero's at-bats a bit early this season as he's yet to play in three straight games. The at-bats have been limited, but when he has had a chance to step up to the plate, Guerrero has been making it clear that he's feeling good in the batter's box.
April 16: Vlad Jr. sits nightcap after going hitless in opener
Guerrero went 0-for-3 in the front end of the twin bill between Triple-A Buffalo and Pawtucket on Tuesday, dropping his average on the season to .321. He grounded into a force out in the first, flied out to right in the third and grounded out to short in the fifth. The 20-year-old slugger was left in the on-deck circle in the top of the seventh, when Lourdes Gurriel Jr. lined into a double play to end the inning.
Guerrero was not in the lineup for the second game of the doubleheader.