Hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling, At the Letters connects Toronto Blue Jays fans with the stories, numbers and characters surrounding the team. Expect new episodes every Wednesday.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s two homers got all the attention Monday, but those weren’t the only two balls the Blue Jays’ top hitting prospect crushed that night. The New Hampshire Fisher Cats track exit velocities for all players, and according to manager John Schneider, the slowest of the four balls Guerrero Jr. connected with Monday left his bat at 107 m.p.h.
“Pretty consistently, when he’s hitting it and hitting it pretty hard, it’s over 100,” Fisher Cats manager John Schneider told Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith on At the Letters Wednesday. “Fun fact: we’re quietly keeping track and I think it’s over 30 balls over 100 m.p.h. this year.”
Guerrero Jr. entered play Wednesday batting .392/.446/.657 with as many walks as strikeouts through 26 games. Along the way, he has made consistently hard contact, hitting a ball as hard as 117 m.p.h., according to Schneider. For context, just seven players have hit a ball at least 117 m.p.h. at the MLB level this year: Giancarlo Stanton, Carlos Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez, Aaron Judge, Joey Gallo, Kyle Schwarber and Marcell Ozuna.
Of course Guerrero Jr. has plenty of help on a team which also includes Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio, among others.
“Everyone’s got a bunch (of hard-hit balls),” Schneider said. “This team can really hit, but Vladdy’s leading the way.”
Listen to the complete episode below, as Ben and Arden discuss James Paxton’s no-hitter and the arrest of Roberto Osuna before Schneider joins for some prospect talk …
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Here’s how the conversation unfolds:
• Ben and Arden begin by discussing James Paxton’s no-hitter against the Blue Jays (0:36).
• The discussion then turns to the arrest of Roberto Osuna, its significance beyond baseball and impact on the team (5:49).
• ATL then welcomes Schneider for a discussion about Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (33:24) and other prospects at double-A (42:47).
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