Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is Ready for Primetime

An all-time great season by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., coupled with his team’s red-hot stretch, has put the Toronto Blue Jays into the national spotlight. Vladdy was featured on ESPN.com, in a wide-ranging, long-form piece by Devin Gordon.

It takes an infectious personality and prodigious talents in order to capture the attention of the media magnate. And as often as they ignore the teams and players North of the border, this was no mail-in job.

Embedded with the team since mid-July, Gordon really gives readers a chance to get to know Guerrero Jr. From his multiple nicknames (Vladito, Vladdy, Plákata) to his swing and approach at the plate to his famous father and his dramatic weight loss, the piece is a deep dive on the AL MVP candidate.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – Blue Jays Breakout Star

The article caught up on the Jays’ return home and Guerrero Jr.’s commitment to a dramatic weight loss prior to the start of this season. His patience at the plate, his daily greetings to the umpire and catcher, and his overall happiness were all highlighted.

It even goes on about Vladito’s Canadian birth and offers a short history of the Montreal Expos. The Blue Jays arrival and rise to prominence, combined with the 1994 MLB strike deeply contributed to the team being eventually moved to Washington in 2005.

An all-time great season by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., coupled with his team’s red-hot stretch has put the Toronto Blue Jays into the national spotlight.

There’s a weird irony that the offspring of one of the Expos’ last stars would go to a team that helped destroy that franchise. Sure, there are some die-hards that could never root for the Jays, but Vladdy has helped bridge the gap.

The story features great reporting from limiting the portions sizes of his Abuela, Altagracia’s famous stew to the emotions of the players returning to Toronto for the first time in almost two years.

There wasn’t necessarily a ton of new information for big-time Blue Jays fans but it’s a story that deserves to be spread. The team calling three different cities home, the famous bloodlines of Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and the beleaguered Cavan Biggio.

As if there was something in the air, MLB.com also ran a story on the same day, pumping up the AL Cy Young Award credentials of Robbie Ray.

There’s plenty of time for Aaron Rodgers, or Logan Paul to dominate the headlines. For one day at least, the spotlight shone on Canadian baseball and the brightest star in the galaxy.