The back of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s baseball card might not be as long or as impressive as his dad’s. But the Toronto Blue Jays’ first baseman suddenly has a chance to do something his father never did as a major leaguer: win a World Series.
Guerrero was named the Most Valuable Player of the American League Championship Series on Monday, when the Jays defeated the Seattle Mariners 4-3 in Game 7. Toronto will host the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday.
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Guerrero, 26, slashed .385/.484/.846 in the series with three solo home runs. He had six extra-base hits in the series compared to two strikeouts.
After the win, Vladimir Guerrero Sr. posted a heartfelt message to his son on his personal Instagram account in Spanish and English.
“I’ve seen every sacrifice, every workout, every tear. Watching him become the ALCS MVP is the reward for all of it. 🏆 You’re great, son! ❤️”
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Guerrero is playing for his first championship in his seventh season at the MLB level. His father didn’t appear in a World Series game until 2010, the penultimate season of his 16-year, Hall of Fame career.
By then, Guerrero was a potent hitter but limited to DH duties for the Texas Rangers, who lost a five-game World Series to the San Francisco Giants. Guerrero went 1 for 14 in the only four World Series games of his career.
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Guerrero Jr. has been on a heater the entire month of October. He is hitting .442 this postseason with six home runs, 12 RBIs and only three strikeouts in 11 games this postseason.
The epic performance prompted Fox Sports analyst Alex Rodriguez to call Guerrero Jr. “the best hitter in the game.”
Guerrero Sr. might not even go that far, but his vantage point and heartfelt sentiment strike closer to the truth.
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