TORONTO -- Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s baserunning is best described as chaotic joy.
There are braids bouncing in every direction, a mischievous grin and a hope in his eyes that he’ll be cranked home. His helmet rarely makes it further than half the journey.
Saturday’s 5-1 win over the Royals featured another Guerrero classic as the big man scored from first on a Cavan Biggio double to right field. His eyes flipped to third-base coach Luis Rivera as he rounded second base, and right on cue, his helmet popped off and spun in the dirt behind him.
“When the big man gets moving, it’s fun to watch,” said manager John Schneider. “A bit of a wide turn around third. That probably gave Rivera a bit of a heart attack.”
Guerrero’s speed on that run came in above his season average, which gave him a shot, but it was an incredible slide that made it happen. As Salvador Perez received the throw and swiped back towards the plate for the tag, Guerrero had already launched himself headfirst for the plate but adjusted mid-slide, pulling back his left arm and reaching his right arm around Perez’s glove to score with the swim move.
“Vladdy’s athletic, man. When he gets going, he can move,” Schneider said. “That slide at home was awesome.”
Even in a down year, no player ignites a Rogers Centre crowd like Guerrero. The same can be said for the Blue Jays dugout, who appreciated Guerrero’s hustle and home plate acrobatics to steal another run in the middle of a tight American League Wild Card race.