Vlad happy to put in the work
As Vladimir Guerrero Jr. moved from one baseball field to another, from defensive drills to batting practice, he was shadowed by a significant entourage.
Coaches, security, public relations staff and media all trailed the 19-year-old star slugger from station to station during the Blue Jays’ first full-squad workout of spring training Monday, trying to get another glimpse at what baseball’s top prospect can do.
And so continues the Guerrero show, which is only expected to gather more followers as the third baseman gets closer to his major-league debut, likely in mid- to late April.
Guerrero’s presence is not lost on his teammates. Outfielder Randal Grichuk
VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR.
waved Lourdes Gurriel Jr. into the cage behind the Dominican prospect instead of taking the next spot in line himself.
“I don’t want to go after him,” Grichuk jokingly told Gurriel. “You go.”
The teenager earns exclusively rave reviews for his humility. Ask him and he will tell you he is just one of the guys.
“I’m not the kind of person that craves attention or wants it particularly,” Guerrero said Monday, through translator Tanya Bialostozky, who is also a Jays mental performance coach. “I’m a guy that is focused on coming here, working hard, doing the best I can and then just going home and keeping a low profile.”
He continued: “When I’m here, when I’m on the field, in the clubhouse, I’m a baseball player. Outside, when I’m at my home, I’m just a person, a human being. I try to come here, give my best, leave it here and then just go back to being a person at home, a regular guy.”
Born in Montreal, where his father started his hall-of-fame career, the 19year-old learned to take the attention in stride as a child as he watched others give interviews. Which players did he learn the most from?
“There were many, but the closers,” he said. “Closers know how to manage the pressure.”
“I’m not the kind of person that craves attention or wants it particularly.” TOP BLUE JAYS PROSPECT
When things went well, they knew how to handle it. When things didn’t go well, they knew how to handle it, so I would mostly focus on the closers.”
Things are going well for Guerrero in his first invite to the big-league camp. He is happy to be among familiar faces, like fellow nonroster invitees Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio, both among the top 10 prospects in the Jays’ system, and a handful of fellow Latin American players who congregated around Guerrero’s locker listening to salsa music before practice began.
He is happy to reunite with the major-leaguers he knows, like Kendrys Morales, Justin Smoak and Aaron Sanchez. And happy to meet the new signings, like shortstop Freddy Galvis.
Guerrero is not so keen to speculate on his future, or when he will be promoted to the big leagues. He plans to work hard and control what he can control. It’s that approached that helped him hit .381 with 20 home runs, 78 RBIs and a 1.073 OPS between four levels, predominately Double-A and Triple-A, in 2018.
“I’ve never put numbers in my head,” he said. “I focus on my work and just doing what I need to do. The numbers will show up if I’m focused on getting the work done.”
The numbers could put pres- sure on Jays president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins, who are playing the service-time game with the Jays’ most-hyped Jays prospect, delaying his arrival for an extra year of contract control.
“Nobody’s born perfect so I’m just working every day to get better and to become a better player,” Guerrero said, toeing the party line.
But the even-keeled Guerrero, who will be 20 in less than a month, already has the mark of a star, according to manager Charlie Montoyo, who is confident Guerrero has the maturity to handle starting the season with Triple-A Buffalo and joining the Jays eventually.
“It’s not that easy to be like that, all that attention, being that young, you guys asking questions and saying the right answers,” Montoyo said. “That’s impressive.”
Montoyo can’t relate to that kind of scrutiny and expectation personally, but he has seen at least one player carry himself similarly in the past.
“His dad. Yeah. Pretty close. They’re pretty close. Nice, calm, good bat, good tools,” said Montoyo, who played with, coached and watched over the elder Guerrero when he was in Double-A in the Expos system.
The manager hasn’t yet joined the peanut gallery, though. “I haven’t even seen him hit yet,” Montoyo said. “I might throw (batting practice) to him tomorrow.”