Olerud363

Man the 2009 Jays position player group could have been so elite if the timing with certain players just worked out better.

What is insane is that they rebounded back to 85 wins in 2010... IF they kept Halladay he adds 9 wins, presumably one or two against Rays/Yanks/Sox and Jays win 2010 AL East.

Its so sad that we can predict this with like 99% certainty.

 

At least it will be more fun to watch though.

 

A lineup of

 

Springer

Bo

Vlad

Turner

Varsho

Martinez

Schneider

Jansen

Barger

 

All mashing homers, with a sick rotation of

 

Berrios, Manoah, Francis, Espino, Zeuch

That literally happened 1996-2001 they had both like worst offense and best pitching and good offense and horrible pitching.

I think in 2000 when Delgado almost won the triple crown Halladay/Carpenter/Escobar went from about a 3.80 ERA combined (which was good in the late 90s) to a nice 7.00 ERA combined in 2000, then back to like a 3.20 ERA in 2001 (when of course the hitting went to nothing because they were playing bucky-ball).

lol. Seen it all and nothing would surprise me. After '93 the only two reasonable things that happened are

1. Carlos Delgado started slow but eventually hit as expected and was an icon for 10 years

2. July 30 to Oct 20 2015

Every thing else has been completely messed up with this franchise. Minor disappointments, massive disappointments, bizarre disappointments.

Like Aaron Hill. Like Aaron randomly hit 30 homers than .200 with 2 homers, than back to .300 with 25 homers with Arizona. Why?? I don't know why. Maybe it always happens like that.

That is why Vlad is destined to win the triple crown with the Red Sox in 2026. No question in my mind. It would be no different in magnitude than Aaron Hills 2009 to 2012.

Yeah they used to have to respect his modest power

 

Sad what he has become

June 27th 2022 he was hitting .320 .410 ..535 and had 19 career homeruns in 500 PAs

He was the same shape.

What he (and Vlad) has become cannot be explained by fatness unless we assume the extra weight wrecked their knees or something (don't really know how it would wreck their hands).

The system screws players over way more than anything. For every Vlad that gets paid more, theres 3 or 4 players who get underpaid a lot so teams/owners aren't going to want to change the system.

 

Baseball players get screwed more than any other sport for getting paid based on what they are worth. NHL entry level deals are 3 years and then you're getting paid market value, NBA players its 4 years or less. MLB its 6/7 years and you don't even make the majors right away. Not to mention pitchers can be great for 1/2 years early on, get hurt and really never get paid for the value they provided.

I wonder if there is a way to renegotiate so arb doesn't have this phony baked in service time escalation.

Some system where Arb is basically 50% market value but it doesn't escalate each year. So Vlad might actually have the same total pay but it would go 20, 15, 12, 8 instead of the other way around.

Maybe the owners wouldn't like it because they all of a sudden would have to pay a guy massive amount after 1 good year. However system should be designed that over the arb years it works out to the same amount as it does now, but more tied to performance.

And a guy like Vlad could go up to 20 after something like his 2021, but also the system should be so he goes back down to 10 or less if he becomes average again.

Vlad still gets his reward for 2021, and gets it right away, but suffers if he isn't consistent.

If the rest of this season plays out like 2023 and April 2024 have, it's almost impossible to imagine Vlad back next year. Like, Ross would actually have to be a computer to watch another 5 months of this and then decide that the best path forward is to spend 25M on another season of it. A poorly-programmed computer.

It's been obvious where this is headed since late 2022. And it is kindof sad and is mostly just the flaw in the arbitration system where player gets payed massively too much for an outlier pre-arb3.

It's just a mess with the raises built in. Ironically Vlad didn't get paid all that right after the big 2021... just got like on the Juan Soto arb compatible list. His salary is going to go something like 8, 15, 21, 25 in 4 arb years, with WAR 3, 1, 1, 1 or something... lol.

Much more problematic to for a player like Vlad who can put up 1 WAR with a .265 .330 .440 year and 95 rbis, as compared to a .230 .300 .380 10 homer 45 rbi 1 WAR guy with baserunning and defense.

I mean the dream scenarios for me include..

 

1. Somehow Vlad figures it out and goes on a tear, and Bo goes all 2022 on us. Leave the FO with some tough decisions to make next off season.

 

2. They scrape by and then next off season find a suitor that thinks they can fix Vlad and then trade him and Bo for some prospect capital. Sign Adames to a decent deal and also Soto to a mega deal. Graduate a bunch of the AAA guys an have 2 of 3 of them POP and then carry on with a strong pitching staff and an offense built around Soto, an actual MVP caliber bat.

I have zero doubt that Jays will make a very competitive offer to Soto and be a finalist. After what happened with Ohtani I doubt we get as far as anyone tweeting a signing is imminent, but I really believe we can get Soto an extra 5 or 10 million a year from the Yankees by being in it to the end, so push the Yankees payroll up I guess. That's really the best case scenario and why not... get the Yankees more into the luxury tax.

Best case scenario for Vlad is simply a dignified release in November. Try to get him up to .250 with 20 homers and 90 rbis so it isn't completely embarassing and he can think of himself as still a star as he goes onto his next destination (where I have no doubt he will be a massive star).

There may actually be something to your theory Olerud. Kirk prior to being hit in the hand on June 18 2022 had a 149 wRC+ with a .469 slug and post that it was a 118 wRC+ with a .382 slug. To today he's had a 101 wRC+ and a .354 slug.

 

Vladdys injury happened so early in the season that it's hard to extrapolate a lot but before that he had 4 hrs in 24 PA, he was also hitting like .400. The balance of the season he obviously hit another 28 bombs and had a .460ish slug. But since that injury he's only slugged a total of .445.

 

I'd really want to see other players from the Jays and other teams that have had a hand injury and not been injured for 6+ weeks like Jansen gets to see how drastically their power has dropped off. It's a shame that Vladdy's 2022 sample was so small before the injury because it's noise.

The 'effect' is like a 'delayed' one, because the initial hand injury gets worse from playing with it. So to measure it you may need to go a week out from the initial hand injury.

This might all be ******** on my part, but I got thinking about it literally 14 years ago when Travis Snider hurt his wrist, then apparently hit a homerun 3 pitches after the wrist injury, then missed 2 months https://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/jays-snider-on-dl-with-wrist-injury-1.904432.

Any of us who do any athletic activity, from running the local 5k, to pickup basketball, to more serious things, know that if you get an injury the advice is keep off of it completely for a time (days/weeks depending what it is) but it is very easy to try and fight threw it, then you make it worse.

So hand injuries. Play with them it gets worse, could be 3 pitches later, could be a week later. So if you look at Kirk in Vlad and in 2022 month by month Kirk fell off starting in July.

Kirk peaked June 27th, a few days after the Milwaukee hit by pitch game - .325 .417 .527... he looked like Edgar Martinez as of that day... problably .250 .330 .340 since that day.

As you mentioned the Vlad one is really small sample size, but in 2022 he picked up right where he left off in 2021. Then he got the potential injury in game 6. After which he has hitting .391 .417 .957. And he hit 2 homers of off Cole. Since then honestly hasn't been the same.

Gone from hitting homers off of Cole and Cole bowing to him, to not being able to hit Wacha? Or whatever scrub Kansas City had out there.

Lyle Overbay at Rogers Center - .263 .347 .455

Adam Lind at Rogers Center - .279 .333 .474

Kendry Morales at Roger Center - .259 .323 .451

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at Rogers Center - .257 .330 .446

Vlad beats none in average or slugging, but does barely beat Kendry in OPS.

Ho-hum game for Gunnar Henderson 3/3 with a couple of walks and a homerun, beating Ely by a half a WAR and about to take over the major league WAR lead.

Special announcement by commissioner Rob Manfred

"Baseball is a game of joy, a game of fun, a game for the fans a game that bonds generations. As commissioner I have instituted a special program to monitor the generational endorphin levels of our fans. Happy fans lead to a healthy game, and fans both young and old must be happy if the game is to have a healthy future. The young lads must be thrilled so that they will grow up with a love of baseball.

Here is our first every multi-generational fan endorphin report

Baltimore Orioles fans - multi-generation endorphin level 96.3/100

The Baltimore fans have suffered for a few years but the wise older fans helped the younger ones through and with multiple potential hall of famers on their roster the Orioles fans endorphin levels are now through the roof. We have found that prospect success is particularly important to build a love of the game. If grandpa promises that Gunnar Henderson will be good, and he isn't the young fans will become disillusioned. For that reason we are thrilled to see Gunnar Henderson approach 'best player in baseball' level and the Orioles fans endorphin levels reflect this with every homerun he hits.

New York Yankee fans - multi-generation endorphin level 92.7/100

Key to NY Yankee endorphin levels has been trade acquisition Juan Soto who is off to one of his best starts and given all generations of Yankee fans a new hero.

Cincinnati Reds fans - multi-generation endorphin level 92.1/100

The success of Eli Cruz has made all Red fans so happy. As we mentioned having young players perform expected is an absolute key to building a happy healthy fanbase.

Kansas City Royals - multi-generation endorphin level 91.8/100

Like Baltimore KC fans have sufferred for a few years. Like Baltimore their new hero, Bobby Witt Jr. is developing and performing exactly as expected building joy in the fanbase.

Los Angeles Dodgers - multi-generation endorphin level 91.2/100

With so much success an unfortunate side effect is that bigger levels of success are needed to raise endorphin levels. That is why the acquisition of Shohei Ohtani was so important to these fans. Imagine if the LA fans thought they were getting him and it fell through at the last minute? Or it was fake all along? Imagine if fake announcement of a signing had been made? That would devastate a fanbase. So it was with great relief a pleasure that I saw Ohtani sign with the Dodgers, and it is with great happiness that I watch his success bring the LA fans thrills.

Baseball is a happy game, a healthy game, a game that brings smiles to our faces and a game we share with each other in a positive way. As commissioner I burst with joy when our fans burst with joy and I am so pleased announce the game has never been healthier.

Ho hum game for Elly. 3-5 with a double and 3 SB, now 15 on the year.

Ho-hum game for Gunnar Henderson 3/3 with a couple of walks and a homerun, beating Ely by a half a WAR and about to take over the major league WAR lead.

If they were clever, they would have opted to amputate their hands and allow them to regenerate during the offseason. That's the approach Jansen takes, but with each regeneration, the bones become progressively weaker.

But maybe there is something to the Jansen thing.

1. Jansen mentally weak and low pain threshold, so can't tolerate even minor fractures so goes for a rest as soon as getting hand hit.

2. Yeah so Jansen misses 80 games, but since he isn't ever playing with a f***ed up hand he doesn't lose his power and comes back strong.

Jansen - ouch. OK coach get me out of this game right now and I go rest for 2 months now and not swing again for a while. Let the fat guy and some minor league scrub play for the next few weeks.

1. Something happens to f*** up hand but hand isn't destroyed totally.

2. Feels OK so guy keeps playing, hits homers maybe even

3. It's not the hard hit ball that messes it up more but a hard swing and miss at some point on an already f'd up hand

4. After playing with messed hand for a few days, gets messed up more and guy becomes powerless.

5. Guy completely changed now. Power cut 70%.

These teams aren't being conservative enough with hand injuries because it seems OK at first.

FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T READ MORE THAN 2 SENTENCES. ITS ALL f***ING HAND INJURIES. ALL THIS f***ING UNDERPERFORMANCE IS HAND INJURIES.

 

Hinske: June 2003. Snider May 2010. Vlad April 2022 (stepped on in Yankee Stadium). Kirk June 25th Milwaukee (hit by pitch).

 

Sometimes they stay in game and even it homers, but hand is wrecked long term. All need DL's for months if needed until hands are fixed.

Overbay - sometime in 2007. Changed guy after that.

I don't know Joe Mauer did OK, even the light version of Joe Mauer is better than this version of Kirk...

 

But weirdly catchers do this sometimes yes. Russel Martin had two random .330 slugging seasons in his mid 20s. Jason Kendall had like a random 0 homer season one time. Joe Mauer went from a 1987 Wade Boggs (a.k.a. 1993/98 John Olerud) to a powerless guy to.

 

Maybe it's all hand injuries. The entire thing is hand injuries. Everything is f***ing hand injuries.

 

Maybe Vlad was destined to be 10 straight triple crowns until he got his hand stepped on in Yankee Stadium around April 12th 2022 **. Maybe Snider and Hinske were destined to be great until hurting their hands. Hamates both I think.

 

Vlad got hand stepped on, but hit two more bombs. I think Snider actually hit a bomb after his hand injury but then felt it more swinging and missing....

 

So that's it. That's the explanation. All the pain is hand injuries and maybe catchers get them more.

 

But also. Kirk got hit by pitch in Milwauklee June 25th or so 2022 and after that point he has sucked even though he didn't miss any time except for a day.

 

ITS ALL f***ING HAND INJURIES.

 

OKJ. So here is what you do. DL them and inject stem cells, HGH and steroids (medical exemption) until the f***ing hand is fixed even if it take 18 months.

FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T READ MORE THAN 2 SENTENCES. ITS ALL f***ING HAND INJURIES. ALL THIS f***ING UNDERPERFORMANCE IS HAND INJURIES.

Hinske: June 2003. Snider May 2010. Vlad April 2022 (stepped on in Yankee Stadium). Kirk June 25th Milwaukee (hit by pitch).

Sometimes they stay in game and even it homers, but hand is wrecked long term. All need DL's for months if needed until hands are fixed.

Catching is HARD

 

I guess that would be the main thing going on

I don't know Joe Mauer did OK, even the light version of Joe Mauer is better than this version of Kirk...

But weirdly catchers do this sometimes yes. Russel Martin had two random .330 slugging seasons in his mid 20s. Jason Kendall had like a random 0 homer season one time. Joe Mauer went from a 1987 Wade Boggs (a.k.a. 1993/98 John Olerud) to a powerless guy to.

Maybe it's all hand injuries. The entire thing is hand injuries. Everything is f***ing hand injuries.

Maybe Vlad was destined to be 10 straight triple crowns until he got his hand stepped on in Yankee Stadium around April 12th 2022 **. Maybe Snider and Hinske were destined to be great until hurting their hands. Hamates both I think.

Vlad got hand stepped on, but hit two more bombs. I think Snider actually hit a bomb after his hand injury but then felt it more swinging and missing....

So that's it. That's the explanation. All the pain is hand injuries and maybe catchers get them more.

But also. Kirk got hit by pitch in Milwauklee June 25th or so 2022 and after that point he has sucked even though he didn't miss any time except for a day.

ITS ALL f***ING HAND INJURIES.

OKJ. So here is what you do. DL them and inject stem cells, HGH and steroids (medical exemption) until the f***ing hand is fixed even if it take 18 months.

A day in baseball 2026

Dodger fans go to Dodger Stadium. Ohtani is pitching again and cranking them at 110 mph and 30 degrees, Dodgers fans so happy and healthy and so joyful discussing whether Ohtani will set the single season WAR record.

Yankee fans go to Yankee Stadium. Juan Soto signed for 55 million a year but worth every penny. Soto is chasing a .500 on base percentage. Dad remembers Giambi, but Grandpa remembers Mantle and assures grandson that Soto will hit like Mantle and do this for years. Generations bond over the super-star.

Mariners fans go to T-Mobile Park - J-Rod is reminding them of A-Rod, maturing into a .300 hitter with 40 homers. Cranking them at 110 mph and 30 degrees and chasing down fly balls in centerfield. Mom wears the Rodriquez Jersey she had as a kid, kids wear their new ones.

Red Sox fans go to Fenway - Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is built for this park and the Red Sox have VGJ mentally in his best space ever. His 110 mph 30 degree hits are flying over the monster, his ground balls are getting though, his opp-o tacos are into the right field bullpen, he's leading all 3 triple crown categories in late august and his .465 on base is second only to Soto's .530. A mixed family of Yankee fans and Red Sox fans argue who's better? Guerrero or Soto?

Blue Jays fans go to Rogers Center - Spencer Horwitz is hitting .278 with 11 homers but looks to be on pace for 2.5 WAR because his first base defense grades surprisingly high and he walks a lot. A young kid with a Spencer Horwitz Jersey plays on his phone not minding the game...

Baseball a game of generations, a game of legends, a game for the fans!

I totally realize the Vlad has probably out-hit Julio by a tiny bit since April 1st 2022 when Julio entered the league.

 

BUT THE f***ING POINT IS THAT VLAD IS SUPPOSE TO MASSIVELY OUTHIT JULIO -- He puts 75 more balls in play a year than Julio, and has better exit velocities...

 

so for 600 balls in play at better exit Vs, Vlad gets worse results than Julio's 525 balls in play... so bizarre

I know I am going on and on... and you hate me. I hate you too. All of you. DickPole or somebody can make a big 'what the hell is this s***' post. It is OK. I deserve it.

Post Game Announcer - and now our advanced stats analyst will give us the player of the game.

Advanced Stats guy - Player of the game is Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Post Game Announcer - That's strange. Vladdy was 0/5, made 6 outs, chased pitches, and made the error that led to the winning runs.

Advanced Stats guy - Your common man's view is exactly why Vladdy is so under rated. According to exit velocities and launch angles he went 2/5 with a homer. His error as an independent entity was not so important and only had a run value of negative .15. Thus based on independent event probabilities and expected wOBA Vladdy contributed 2.5 runs to tonights expected victory.

Post Game Announcer - but we lost. And Vladdy made a dumb error and had no hits and grounded into a double play and chased pitches for strikeouts and missed cookies....

Advanced Stats guy - I see. This is all very hard to explain to commoners but my models which include payroll considerations and human behavior do show Vladdy winning the triple crown for the 2026 red sox.

Post Game Announcer - well there you have it folks. Advanced stats.

Julio Rodriquez - EV 110.5 Launch angle 33 distance 435

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - EV 109.5 Launch angle 31 distance 395

 

Congratulations to the Seattle Mariners for developing a normal f***ing super star, who will be there for a generation, whos fly balls will go the predicted distance, whos exit velocities will correlate properly with performance, whos defensive value and baserunning will not be -3 WAR, and who will bring joy and happiness to generations of fans and have his likeness on many bus adds in the Seattle area.

I totally realize the Vlad has probably out-hit Julio by a tiny bit since April 1st 2022 when Julio entered the league.

BUT THE f***ING POINT IS THAT VLAD IS SUPPOSE TO MASSIVELY OUTHIT JULIO -- He puts 75 more balls in play a year than Julio, and has better exit velocities...

so for 600 balls in play at better exit Vs, Vlad gets worse results than Julio's 525 balls in play... so bizarre

Julio Rodriquez - EV 110.5 Launch angle 33 distance 435

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - EV 109.5 Launch angle 31 distance 395

Congratulations to the Seattle Mariners for developing a normal f***ing super star, who will be there for a generation, whos fly balls will go the predicted distance, whos exit velocities will correlate properly with performance, whos defensive value and baserunning will not be -3 WAR, and who will bring joy and happiness to generations of fans and have his likeness on many bus adds in the Seattle area.

Over 682 PAs in '23 Vlad wRC+ 118

 

Over 108 PAs in '24 Vlad wRC+ 108

 

The 790 PAs sample size of mediocrity for a $20M 1B with limited D value concerning.

 

Enigma that his xwOBA is .377 over this sample.

I'll have to double check but it is probably not fluke but just several things

1. Bad spin - for given EV and launch angle Vladdy fly balls do not go as far as other players, not sure what the exact magnitude of the effect is but I am sure I read this somewhere. Last night was an extreme example 110 EV. 30 degree launch. 395 feet (50 feet short of where it should have been). Got some weird as f*** spin on that one so extreme outlier of the effect, but maybe Vladdy fly balls go 20 feet shorter than regular fly balls.

2. Too many pulled ground balls - I think the formulas account for this, but not quite enough. So all the 100+ mph pulled grounder outs add up

3. Formulas not accounting for spray angle quite right - related to above. Basically the fly ball outs are from gap to gap, the ground ball outs are pulled to the shifted infield (second basemen still right behind second)

Last night was an extreme example of the typical Vladdy day.

0 for 5 - 6 outs produced. Chased some pitches. Crazy key error that led directly to the loss.

But according to expected performance given exit velocity and launch angle he was 2/5 with a homer... lol

Baseball is a game of Joy. Fathers bring sons to see great players. Mothers bring sons to see great players, if the father is a deadbeat the mother will bring the son. The father will bring the daughter who has been watching Caitlin Clark all spring and now they need a new sport to watch. And the son should for sure should be watching Caitlin Clark too, sorry. Your f***ing white as bread son from Vaughn (or Eastern Indian as f*** son I guess) will not be dunking and breaking backboards so is better off to model his game on Caitlin Clark... but I disgress, the point is fans love greatness, which is why tickets to the Cailtin Clark NCAA games were going for like 1000 bucks and the ticket the night before 30 bucks. True story.

Back to point. Fans love greatness. Greatness brings them Joy. When my Dad brought me to exhibition stadium and a young Fred McGriff was hitting them 470 feet into the end zone against the White Sox in 1988 it got me hooked on the game. You can't win every year, but if you have a great player you can watch him every year for a decade and he becomes part of the fabric of the city.

So all the preamble out of the way let's look at how some of the greats performed in our great city of Toronto and the Joy they brought us when we went to the once crappy but now renovated old ballpark!

Carlos Delgado, the closest to a generational home grown player we've had, hit .280 .404 .580 in Rogers Center and brought the fans many thrills including a 4 homer game, watch here to see how the greats launch them https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xq5_TxTdkI.

Jose Bautista had the best 6 year run. His overall line at rogers center was .260 .380 .530, but brought down a bit by mediocre first and last year at Rogers center. In his prime seasons in Rogers Center (2010 and 2011) he hit 282 .412 .737 with 33 homeruns and .305 .454 .609 with 20 homeruns. That is right. In 2010 Jose Bautista gave the home fans 33 thrilling Rogers Center homeruns to cheer for (he hit 21 others for the road fans). Though he only hit 50 homeruns once, he thrilled home crowd for the next few years including this boss moment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UdsVO7HaJg.

Alas not every season nor every player is great. Some are working men just doing their jobs. They don't thrill us regularly with deep drives and incredible hitting. They don't have the eye of the eagle and get on base 40% or more. You don't have a great chance of seeing them hit a laser into the second deck or drive in the winning run, sometimes they do just not as often these average men...

Travis Snider - .266 .325 .466 at Rogers Center

Eric Hinske - .249 .338 .425 at Rogers Center

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - .257 .330 .446 at Rogers Center

Ballparks at which he has the most plate appearances (90+)

TD Ballpark Dunnedin 96 PA .410 .521 .897

Sahlen Field Buffalo 219 PA 322 .398 .656

Fenway Park 170 PA .336 .421 .592

Camden Yards 170 PA .342 .387 .537

Yankee Stadium 170 PA .272 .333 .576

Rogers Center 1100 PA .257 .330 .446

Tropicana 195 PA .244 .333 .395

What potential random patterns are there here?

Not good in the 2 domes and 2 artificial turf parks

Not good in cities that start with T

The Tropicana stuff may be related to data though I think he hits fine against TBR at home

It must be mental or something. The 'can only hit in minor league ballparks' is 100% true (in both minors and majors). And that is the key to the mystery.

The idiot casuals think minor league ballparks are small and that is why he hits there. Not true at all, but the data does say he only hit's really well in minor league ball parks.

Reasons

1. Mental. Relaxed vibe at minor league ballparks. No pressure. Hardly any fans and he was in the zone in Dunnedin, New Hampshire and Buffalo.

2. ADD. Slightly related to 1, but just simply too many distractions in MLB parks (lights, fans shouting, etc.) and can't focus.

3. Out on the town. Too much night life and things to do in the big cities and not focusing on games.

4. Visual. Something about the second deck and all the lights, bright screens, flashing s*** etc., related to 2, but not ADD. Just vision related somehow.

5. Can't deal with advanced game prep by opposition - in Minors and during Covid (when he played in minor league parks) advanced scouting and game prep was down, when the advanced scouting and pitching patterns customized to Vlad's weaknesses returned Vlad couldn't deal with it.

6. Random - Just happened to his one career multi-month hot stretch curing Covid in the minor league parks.

Never know how someone's defense will rate so the hope with Horwitz would be he that he isn't -20 defense... a solid .280 .360 .430 hitter beats Vlad even with 15 homer power.

 

VGJR -20 defense, 18 homer power now, the exit velocity's are deceiving because he gets bad spin and the ball doesn't go as far as the exit velocity predicts even when he gets it in the air.

 

The Vlad/Bo era is over. 0 playoff wins, but on Vlad Guerrero release day it starts anew. November 2024 a new era will begin hopefully they trade what they can and rebuild in 3 years.

Announcer1 - Swing and a belt. That thing is hammerred. Look at that. High and deep and .... caught. Caught on the warning track by the center fielder.

Announcer2 - Well according to stats cast that thing was the hardest hit ball any Blue Jays has hit on the road trip, and at the perfect angle of 31 degrees really goes to show you the talent Guerrero has.

Announcer1 - Yeah, launching at 30 with a 110 exit velocity is something only a select few can do. Judge, Ohtani, Guerrero. According to hard hit rate the three best. Unbelievable stuff from these guys.

Announcer2 - Vlad is so under-rated by those who judge him by his 22 homers and .250 average and 31 double plays... the exit velocities tell a completely different.

Announcer1 - Do you think he is getting dead balls or maybe the spin isn't right off his bat?

Announcer2 - Perhaps a bit of both, but those 110 mph 30 degree fly ball outs are still a thing of beauty.

As frustrating as Vladdy has been you don't send him down for Spencer f***ing Horowitz lol. His numbers look great in AAA but he hits the ball into the ground just as much as Vladdy and with no power either.

Never know how someone's defense will rate so the hope with Horwitz would be he that he isn't -20 defense... a solid .280 .360 .430 hitter beats Vlad even with 15 homer power.

VGJR -20 defense, 18 homer power now, the exit velocity's are deceiving because he gets bad spin and the ball doesn't go as far as the exit velocity predicts even when he gets it in the air.

The Vlad/Bo era is over. 0 playoff wins, but on Vlad Guerrero release day it starts anew. November 2024 a new era will begin hopefully they trade what they can and rebuild in 3 years.