As Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continues to light up double-A ball with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the calls for the Toronto Blue Jays to bring up Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grow louder by the day.
Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports agrees with that sentiment. Speaking on the Jeff Blair Show on Sportsnet 590 The FAN Thursday, Passan explained why it’s a “no-brainer” for the Blue Jays to call up their top prospect.
“I think when a guy is ready, he is ready.” Passan said. “If you want to be an organization that is known for trying to win at all times, at all costs, in a division where it is imperative to have that mindset, then calling up your best players when they are ready physically to be Major League Baseball players is what you should do. All the other stuff, that can be adjusted to.
“Vlad Guerrero Jr. understands what it takes to be a major-league player, though, because his father was, because he grew up around the game and because the physical tools are there right now for him to be successful, and more successful right now than the alternatives for the Blue Jays makes him the right choice right now.”
Guerrero Jr.’s numbers with the Fisher Cats certainly jump off the page and he’s only getting better as the season continues. Passan believes that his impressive displays at the double-A level are especially encouraging.
“I think that what he is doing down at double-A, which is the proving ground for minor-league players – even more than triple-A – shows that he is ready. Every day I check Vlad Guerrero Jr.’s page on MiLB.com and every day, it’s like he’s getting better. He’s up to .388 [batting average] now. He’s slugging .600. And oh, by the way, he’s just turned 19 years old. He’s ready. Scouts tell me he’s ready. People in the organization believe that he is ready, even though they don’t want to bring him up right now. It’s time.”
Guerrero Jr. has played a total of 21 games with New Hampshire this season, batting .388/.455/.600 with two home runs and 26 RBI.
You can listen to the full segment in the audio player below.
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