“WHAT TO EXPECT”: This hot streak of Vladdy is good and bad news for the Blue Jays

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the ace first baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays, has had a turbulent season so far in 2024. Guerrero was expected to assist lead the offensive effort by his teammates, but instead fumbled badly out of the gate. In March/April, he hit close to.200 despite totaling only three home runs and eleven RBI.

Guerrero appeared to have turned the corner in May when he heated up big time and raised his average by almost 100 points in the process. However, the up and down season would continue as Guerrero was back into a mini slump again for the first half of June. But since June 21st, he has gone beast mode in tearing the cover off the ball in his last 10 games. During his current hot streak, Guerrero has hit .429 with 11 runs scored, 6 doubles and 6 home runs with a whopping 20 RBI. He has been so good that some of his numbers from the streak put him in elite company with the likes of Reggie Jackson. This certainly looked more like the Vladdy we grew accustom to from his MVP-calibre 2021 season.

However, this hot streak could actually mean both good and bad news for the Blue Jays. The good news is that with Guerrero re-energized to power the offense, it may have come just at the right time to get the team back into the race. If the Jays can somehow manage to put together a win streak fuelled by the revitalized Guerrero, there could still be a glimmer of hope to salvage what has being turning into a lost season.

At the same time, Toronto could be in for some unpleasant news. With the squad currently out of contention, Guerrero’s rising performance makes him a more appealing trade target for many contenders at the deadline. If the Jays decide to sell, we could lose the franchise’s face for good. That would almost certainly indicate a lengthy and undesirable reconstruction for the team.

Very rarely do we see the heart and soul of the team being moved before establishing any success with the club. But with the current dysfunctional state of the Blue Jays whether it be their hitting, pitching or compete level, a huge shakeup may just be what the organization needs to get back in the right direction.