Vladdy Guerrero has lost more than 30 pounds (12 pounds in the offseason so far)

[G-Snarls]

And second ridonkulous showing at the HR Derby...

 

He was always a HR derby type guy easily

 

Now he's hopefully becoming the beastly complete hitter he's clearly capable of being

[G-Snarls]

It's like long drive champ vs PGA tour champ

[G-Snarls]

There buzz to get both Trout and Ohtani in the HR derby this year

 

That would be awesome. Trout's never done it. Would be like getting MJ in the slam dunk contest.

[Brownie19]

I think lots of people have a misunderstanding of Vladdy. Yes his dad is a hall of famer and treated like royalty back home, but he wasn’t exactly in line to win father of the year award. Not gonna comment on Sr’s family matters and lifestyle choices. But Vlad Jr grew up idolizing his father that was never around. He lived with his grandma and was taught by his uncle Wilton Guerrero.

 

Vladdy never had that demeanor of a rich family’s kid that’s been groomed with the best education and luxuries (e.g. Bichette). Vladdy was just a down to earth country bumpkin that loved baseball and looked up to pops.

 

Hey man - I admitted I was wrong - no need to completely rip my inaccurate/s***** opinion to shreads

[glory]

There buzz to get both Trout and Ohtani in the HR derby this year

 

That would be awesome. Trout's never done it. Would be like getting MJ in the slam dunk contest.

 

If I'm MLB, I'm getting every young star I can for the derby this year, both for being in Colorado (balls will fly out) and also increased attention due to changing the venue. I don't know if Trout will do it, but Vlad, Ohtani, Soto, Tatis, Acuna....get them all in there.

[Virgil_Hiltz]

Yeah he looks amazing this year in every facet. Running the bases well, doing the splits at first, hurting baseballs. Not some fat DH after all!

 

I wonder if he could handle LF...

 

Ive wondered about the LF for him also.

[BlueRocky]

If I'm MLB, I'm getting every young star I can for the derby this year, both for being in Colorado (balls will fly out) and also increased attention due to changing the venue. I don't know if Trout will do it, but Vlad, Ohtani, Soto, Tatis, Acuna....get them all in there.

 

Vladdy and Peterson rematch, let's go!

 

 

Switch out John Schneider with Roark, other teams have no chance.

[Virgil_Hiltz]

Switch out John Schneider with Roark, other teams have no chance.

 

Absolute cruel!....hopefully no copyright on it so I can borrow it!!

[Deadpool]

It's like long drive champ vs PGA tour champ

 

So, his Happy Gilmore arc is almost complete? Is Trout his Shooter McGavin? If not, who is?

[BlueRocky]

[Laika]

I mean... its 2 weeks. He’s shown these flashes of brilliance before.

 

Nah. Not like this.

 

You know what, I stand corrected. I checked his 15 game rolling wOBA on Fangraphs and there was one period in July/August 2019 when he was this good.

 

I guess we need to wait a couple more weeks before crowning him.

[Olerud363]

Nah. Not like this.

 

You know what, I stand corrected. I checked his 15 game rolling wOBA on Fangraphs and there was one period in July/August 2019 when he was this good.

 

I guess we need to wait a couple more weeks before crowning him.

 

Take a man who can hit .270 with 25 homers while weighing 280 pounds and possessing a ground ball rate of 55%

 

What would such a man hit weighing 235 and possessing a ground ball rate of 38%?

 

What are translated numbers of an obese gub-pile if he becomes a lighting cat?

[Stangstag]

Nah. Not like this.

 

You know what, I stand corrected. I checked his 15 game rolling wOBA on Fangraphs and there was one period in July/August 2019 when he was this good.

 

I guess we need to wait a couple more weeks before crowning him.

 

Yeah im not saying its a mirage or anything, just saying I think we should temper our expectations a bit and not jump to conclusions over such a small sample size. I hope he stays hot and continues to mature with age. Maybe he really can be a perennial 150wRC+ bat

[L54]

I think people have a misunderstanding of Vladdy. Yes his dad is a hall of famer and treated like royalty back home, but he wasn’t exactly in line to win father of the year award. Not gonna comment on Sr’s family matters and lifestyle choices. But Vlad Jr grew up idolizing his father that was never around. He lived with his grandma and was taught by his uncle Wilton Guerrero.

 

Vladdy never had that demeanor of a rich family’s kid that’s been groomed with the best education and luxuries (e.g. Bichette). He was just a down to earth country bumpkin that loved baseball and looked up to pops.

 

I don’t think this is news to very many people tbh.

[connorp]

Yeah im not saying its a mirage or anything, just saying I think we should temper our expectations a bit and not jump to conclusions over such a small sample size. I hope he stays hot and continues to mature with age. Maybe he really can be a perennial 150wRC+ bat

 

Tempering expectations was prob the issue in the first place. It’s still entirely debatable that Vlads weight loss is the reason for the bust out. The computers didn’t know anything about Vlads off-season exercise program and had him on his way to being star bat this year. Tatis and Acuna were the prob the biggest reason for raising the bar; being a star out of the wrapper

 

No doubt his weight loss would help with moving around on the bases or defense

[Jimcanuck]

Nah. Not like this.

 

You know what, I stand corrected. I checked his 15 game rolling wOBA on Fangraphs and there was one period in July/August 2019 when he was this good.

 

I guess we need to wait a couple more weeks before crowning him.

 

So you're saying Brownie might still be right, Vladito is a bust?

[Laika]

So you're saying Brownie might still be right, Vladito is a bust?

 

It's only been two weeks. It wouldn't be that bizarre to see a 55% groundball rate the rest of the way and pedestrian production.

 

I don't think that will happen though. I'm buying the narrative and the improvements. I think he's figured it out.

[max silver]

It's only been two weeks. It wouldn't be that bizarre to see a 55% groundball rate the rest of the way and pedestrian production.

 

I don't think that will happen though. I'm buying the narrative and the improvements. I think he's figured it out.

 

This goes back further than just a few weeks. Vlad mashed in winter ball, mashed in spring training and has continued that momentum right into the regular season.

[Laika]

This goes back further than just a few weeks. Vlad mashed in winter ball, mashed in spring training and has continued that momentum right into the regular season.

 

Winter ball and spring training are not relevant. The question is how much he can rake in the majors; he was a generational minor league hitter as a teenager so it's a given that he will mash anywhere that is not regular season major league baseball.

[max silver]

Winter ball and spring training are not relevant. The question is how much he can rake in the majors; he was a generational minor league hitter as a teenager so it's a given that he will mash anywhere that is not regular season major league baseball.

 

If anything it seems like he's taken it up a notch in games that count vs actual quality competition. The total package he presents right now is basically what has been expected from Vladdy with the bat, from the plate discipline, to the unrivalled quality of contact. He's even looks to have taken several steps forward with his defence and baserunning, it's remarkable how much better he is performing in every single aspect of the game up to this point. If he was receiving a serious helping of good luck I'd have reason from skepticism, but Vladdy is crushing baseballs at a ridiculous rate and it doesn't look remotely like a fluke.

[Spanky99]

Winter ball and spring training are not relevant. The question is how much he can rake in the majors; he was a generational minor league hitter as a teenager so it's a given that he will mash anywhere that is not regular season major league baseball.

 

Vlad had a good 2nd half last year with a wRC+ 119, though his GB rate was still hovering at 50%. I believe we're seeing the Vlad we expected initially.

[connorp]

Re-visiting Jim’s question, would you be crazy to take Vlad 1st round in 12 team re-draft if it was today? The correct answer appears to be “no, not crazy”

[connorp]

I took Vlad 2nd round in my 2 off-board leagues

[Jimcanuck]

Re-visiting Jim’s question, would you be crazy to take Vlad 1st round in 12 team re-draft if it was today? The correct answer appears to be “no, not crazy”

 

It would be crazy not to, at this point.

[Jimcanuck]

Acuna

Tatis

Trout

Soto

Betts

Turner

deGrom

Ramirez

Vladito

Freeman

Bieber

Seager

 

Jim's 12 team fantasy power rankings, April 17, 2021

[Deadpool]

It's only been two weeks. It wouldn't be that bizarre to see a 55% groundball rate the rest of the way and pedestrian production.

 

I don't think that will happen though. I'm buying the narrative and the improvements. I think he's figured it out.

 

But it's not just the results that are better. He's clearly taking better at bats, he's laying off pitches that he was flailing at last season, he is making pitchers WORK every single at bat.

[G-Snarls]

But it's not just the results that are better. He's clearly taking better at bats, he's laying off pitches that he was flailing at last season, he is making pitchers WORK every single at bat.

 

Good eye

 

Good patience

 

Ridiculous power

 

Not a bad combination

[mellowgold]

Our boy is now tied with Trout for second in WAR, behind only Acuna.

[G-Snarls]

Our boy is now tied with Trout for second in WAR, behind only Acuna.

 

I believe it's pronounced "ah-coonah"

 

At least, uh, that's what Bryce Harper told me

[Orgfiller]

I believe it's pronounced "ah-coonah"

 

At least, uh, that's what Bryce Harper told me

 

It's not. Bryce Harper was correcting the guy who pronounced it like that.

 

Acuña, as close to phonetically possible in English, is pronounced "ah-coo-nyah". The ñ is "n-yah" more or less.