Blue Jays takeaways from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. debut

The Toronto Blue Jays long-awaited debut of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. came and gone in walk-off fashion, here are some of the takeaways from the rookies first MLB game.

The Blue Jays claimed a 4-2 victory on the heels of a strong pitching performance by Marcus Stroman and some timely ninth inning hitting from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Brandon Drury. Guerrero Jr. went 1 for 4 on the evening, however, set the table in the ninth inning with a leadoff double to cue the heroics.

Guerrero made contact in all four at-bats and showed great poise and plate discipline during his debut. He was tested twice on defense including a short hopper that he charged and flung to first base with authority. The rookie appears that third base will not be an issue if last night was any indication of his defensive prowess.

The 20-year old was the first out of the dugout to celebrate the walk-off homer and was humble during postgame interviews acknowledging credit to teammates while being thankful for the victory. He was also treated to a postgame shower from a handful of teammates who doused him with a litany of items including beer and almond milk.

Guerrero had an entourage of family and friends in a private box for the contest including his Hall of Fame father Vladimir Guerrero and Montreal-based rapper Annakin Slayd. In a postgame interview, Junior acknowledged that his bat and balls from the game would all go to his father.

Stroman also gushed about the rookie in the presser and how excited he was personally to be on the bump for the debut. The phenom even received a shoutout from the Prime Minister prior to the contest.

Guerrero is a generational talent who proved the wait was worth it, I am already looking forward to today’s contest although the skipper hinted that Guerrero may man the designated hitter spot for the game on Saturday. Regardless, he will be in the lineup poised to do some damage.