Vladimir Guerrero Jr. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Guerrero with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2020
Toronto Blue Jays – No. 27
First baseman
Born: (1999-03-16) March 16, 1999 (age 26) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Bats: Right Throws: Right
debut
April 26, 2019, for the Toronto Blue Jays
MLB statistics (through 2024 season)
Batting average	.288
Hits	905
Home runs	160
Runs batted in	507
Teams
Toronto Blue Jays (2019–present)
Career highlights and awards
4× All-Star (2021–2024) 2× All-MLB First Team (2021, 2024) Gold Glove Award (2022) 2× Silver Slugger Award (2021, 2024) AL Hank Aaron Award (2021) MLB home run leader (2021)

Vladimir Guerrero Ramos Jr. (born March 16, 1999) is a professional baseball player. He plays as a first baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays in Major League Baseball (MLB). He started playing in MLB in 2019. Vladimir bats and throws with his right hand. He is the son of Baseball Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr..

Vladimir Jr. was born in Montreal, Canada. The Blue Jays signed him as an international free agent in 2015. In 2018, he was named Minor League Player of the Year. This was by both Baseball America and USA Today. He hit .381 with 20 home runs and 78 runs batted in (RBI) in 95 games. In 2021, he led the major leagues in home runs (48), runs scored (123), and total bases (363). He was chosen for the American League All-Star team in 2021. He also won the MVP award for that game. He was the youngest player ever to win the All-Star Game MVP.

About Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Early Life and Family

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. comes from a baseball family. His father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., is a Baseball Hall of Famer. His uncle, Wilton Guerrero, also played in MLB. Vladimir Jr. was born in Montreal when his father played for the Montreal Expos. He is a Canadian citizen.

His mother, Riquelma Ramos, learned French in Montreal. She later moved with Vladimir Jr. to the Dominican Republic. He spent most of his early childhood there. His parents separated when he was very young. He split his time between his mother in Santiago, Dominican Republic, and his uncle Wilton. In the summers, he visited his father in the United States.

In 2003, his father received a big cheer during his last game for the Expos. Four-year-old Vladimir Jr., wearing a small Expos uniform, joined him on the field. His father told him to wave to the crowd. This moment became a famous photo.

Vladimir Jr. learned baseball from his uncle Wilton. He said, "I think everything I've learned in baseball has been from him. I've been practicing with him since I was five. He's the one who taught me to practice well."

Starting His Baseball Journey

In 2015, Vladimir Jr. was a top international free agent. Baseball America ranked him number one. MLB.com ranked him fourth. He signed with the Toronto Blue Jays on July 2, 2015, for $3.9 million. He was only 16 years old.

Minor League Adventures

Vladimir Jr. started his professional career in 2016. He played for the Rookie Advanced Bluefield Blue Jays. He hit his first professional home run on June 24. Later that year, he was named an Appalachian League All-Star. In 2016, he hit .271 with eight home runs and 46 runs batted in (RBI).

Guerrero with the Lansing Lugnuts in 2017

In 2017, he played for the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts. He was named a Midwest League All-Star. He also joined the World team for the 2017 All-Star Futures Game. After the All-Star Futures Game, he moved up to the Advanced-A Dunedin Blue Jays. He finished 2017 with a .323 batting average, 13 home runs, and 76 RBI. He also walked more times than he struck out. ESPN named him Prospect of the Year.

Guerrero with the Buffalo Bisons in 2018

By 2018, Vladimir Jr. was the top prospect for the Blue Jays. He started the season with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats. He led the Eastern League with a .398 batting average. He also had 30 RBI in the first month. In May, he hit .438 with nine home runs. He had 28 RBI and was named Player of the Month. In July, he was promoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. He hit .402 with 14 home runs for New Hampshire.

In 2019 spring training, Vladimir Jr. had an oblique muscle strain. This injury kept him out for the rest of spring training.

Becoming a Blue Jays Star

Big League Debut

Guerrero batting in 2020

On April 24, 2019, the Blue Jays announced Vladimir Jr. would join the team on April 26. He was the top prospect in all of baseball. He was hitting very well in Triple-A. In his first MLB game, he got a double in the ninth inning.

On May 14, he hit his first major league home run. He was playing against the San Francisco Giants. At 20 years and 59 days old, he became the youngest Blue Jay to hit a home run. He hit another home run later in the same game. He hit two more home runs in the next series. His four home runs earned him the American League Player of the Week Award. He was the youngest Blue Jay to win this award. On May 22, he hit his first home run at the Rogers Centre.

On July 8, he set a new record in the Home Run Derby. He hit 40 home runs in one round. This was after three extra rounds in the semifinals. He also broke the record for most home runs in a derby with 91. He lost the final round to Pete Alonso. In 2019, Vladimir Jr. batted .272 with 15 home runs and 69 RBI. He hit a ball with the highest exit velocity (118.9 mph) in MLB that year.

2020 Season

The 2020 baseball season started late because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo announced that Vladimir Jr. would mainly play first base. He would also play third base and designated hitter sometimes. In the shortened 2020 season, he played in all 60 games. He batted .262 with nine home runs and 33 RBIs.

2021 Season

Guerrero fielding in 2021

Vladimir Jr. started the 2021 season much lighter. He had lost 42 pounds since July 2020. He felt "quicker, stronger and more resilient." He became the Blue Jays' main first baseman. He also regularly played as the designated hitter.

On April 27, 2021, Vladimir Jr. hit three home runs in one game. One of them was a grand slam. He also had 7 RBI that day. On June 21, he decided not to join the 2021 Home Run Derby. He wanted to rest and "refresh mentally" for the second half of the season. On June 26, he hit his 50th career home run. He reached this milestone in the same number of games as his father.

On June 27, MLB announced that Vladimir Jr. was a top choice for the All-Star Game. He had the most votes of any player in Phase 1. On July 1, he was named the starting first baseman for the American League in the All-Star Game. In the game, he hit the 200th home run in All-Star Game history. He became part of the third father-son duo to hit All-Star Game home runs. He was also named the game's Most Valuable Player. He was the first Blue Jays player to win this award. He was also the youngest All-Star Game MVP at 22 years old. On September 6, he hit his 40th home run of the season. He and his father became the second father-son duo to each have a 40-home run season.

Vladimir Jr. finished the 2021 season with a .311 batting average. He tied for the major league lead in home runs (48). He led in runs scored (123) and total bases (363). He won the American League Hank Aaron Award and the Tip O'Neill Award. He finished second in the American League MVP voting.

2022 Season

On March 22, 2022, Vladimir Jr. signed a $7.9 million contract with the Blue Jays. On April 13, he hit a home run against the New York Yankees. He then had his hand stepped on during a play. Despite the injury, he stayed in the game. He hit two more home runs, finishing with three home runs and four RBIs.

He was later named to start the All-Star Game at first base. On September 14, he hit his 100th career home run. He became the youngest Blue Jay to reach 100 home runs. He was also the 7th youngest player in MLB history with 100 home runs and 100 doubles.

In 2022, Vladimir Jr. batted .274 with 32 home runs and 97 RBIs. He won a Gold Glove Award for his excellent defense at first base.

2023 Season

On July 10, 2023, Vladimir Jr. won the MLB Home Run Derby in Seattle. He hit a record 25 home runs in the final round. He beat Randy Arozarena. He and his father became the first father-son duo to win the Derby. His father had won it in 2007.

Vladimir Jr. finished the 2023 season batting .264 with 26 home runs and 94 RBI.

2024 Season

Vladimir Jr.'s salary for the 2024 season was $19.9 million. This was a record amount set by the salary arbitration process. He finished the season batting .323 with 30 home runs and 103 RBI.

How Scouts See Him

Scouts see Vladimir Jr. as a top player because of his amazing hitting. They often give his hitting a score of 80. This is the highest possible score on baseball's scouting scale. His power usually gets a score of 70, which is very high. At first, scouts were not sure if he could stay at third base defensively. However, he has shown he can become a good defender. Some experts believe he will mostly be a designated hitter in the future.

Personal Life

Vladimir Jr. speaks English with his teammates and staff. However, he gives interviews in Spanish, using the team's interpreter. In 2019, he said he was trying to learn English quickly. His cousin Gabriel Guerrero also plays professional baseball. Vladimir Jr. has several siblings. His paternal grandmother, Altagracia, has helped care for him. Vladimir Jr. is a Christian. His godfather is Pedro Martinez, who was a teammate of his father's.

Vladimir Jr.'s brother, Pablo, signed with the Texas Rangers in January 2023. His half-brother, Vladi Miguel Guerrero, signed with the New York Mets in January 2024.

On January 30, 2024, Vladimir Jr. was chosen to be on the cover of the video game MLB The Show 24. His father was on the cover of MLB 2006. This makes them the first father-son duo to be on the cover of an MLB video game.

See also

In Spanish: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. para niños