ALL EYES ON VLADDY IN MLB DEBUT
TORONTO — When Vlad Guerrero Jr. makes his Blue Jays debut on Friday night, this much we know: He’ll be wearing No. 27, the same number his father sported during his Hall of Fame career.
We know he’ll be groomed to be the team’s regular third baseman and be given the opportunity to win that position.
And our hunch is that, in his introduction to the big leagues, he’ll bat toward the bottom of manager Charlie Montoyo’s order.
On the other hand, Montoyo prefers his top hitter batting third, and with Guerrero’s renowned eye at the plate that included a minor-league career in which he walked more than he struck out, perhaps he’ll be near the top. Beyond that, the Jays are expected to be flexible in their handling of baseball’s No. 1 prospect. He’ll see playing time at the hot corner, yes, and he will definitely play on Friday. But Guerrero Jr. will also see some time at DH as Montoyo works to keep third baseman Brandon Drury in the lineup. Defensively, Guerrero Jr. will need some time to adapt to Montoyo’s preference of having his third baseman play off the line. He’ll also take some time to handle the shift, specifically with his ability to turn a double-play at second. Guerrero arrived at Rogers Centre on Thursday afternoon, where he took batting practice in the cage underneath the grandstand and presumably got settled in the clubhouse.
Guerrero Jr.’s promotion, which was announced following Tuesday’s 4-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants, triggered some reaction around the Jays/Rogers organization. For starters, the box office was clearly on high alert as ticket prices made a nice jump from what was being offered Tuesday night to after the announcement was made. The team also announced that gates will open at 4:30 p.m. so fans can watch Guerrero’s first career major-league batting practice. And Sportsnet, the TV home to the team, will air a one-hour pre-game show beginning at 6 p.m.
With no Canadian teams left in the NHL playoffs, the pucks have been bounced off of the main Sportsnet network, with the Jays appearing coast to coast.
The game will also be shown on the MLB Network.