The first two months-plus of the 2024 MLB season have obviously been a major disappointment as far as Toronto Blue Jays fans are concerned. And yet, their glasses should be half full in early-June.
The 30-32 club is only three and a half games out of an American League Wild Card slot. The Jays have been playing solid baseball since the end of May, but they are still in search of a true, red-hot run. There are multiple reasons to believe that such good fortune could be obtained in the near future.
One stands out above all others, however. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is beginning to look like the star who captivated fans in his first couple of big league seasons. The 25-year-old first baseman played a crucial role in Toronto earning a 6-5 victory versus the Baltimore Orioles (39-22) on Thursday afternoon, going 2-for-3 with one home run and three RBIs.
As Guerrero continues to look for a consistent power stroke (now up to seven on the year), the Blue Jays begin to find their form as well. Although a team's success is not strictly tied to one individual, his performance is possibly the key to Toronto being competitive in the latter stretch of the 2024 campaign.
He and the Blue Jays are just taking things day by day, though, as they revel in the excitement brought on by a much-needed home win against a divisional foe.
“We feel great. This was huge,” Guerrero said via a club interpreter, per MLB.com's Keegan Matheson. “When you have a team like Baltimore, after those two losses, when you can win the last two, it’s huge for us.”
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays salvage Orioles series
The O's obliterated Toronto in the first two entries of this four-game set, outscoring their opponent 17-3 in the Rogers Centre. But consecutive hard-fought wins should at least slightly change fans' perception of this squad.
The series finale was a particularly stressful affair, with the Blue Jays' bull pen nearly blowing a commanding 6-1 lead that the offense and starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi gave them. Baltimore scored two runs each in the eighth and ninth innings before Yimi Garcia settled down and clinched the save. Perhaps this near-implosion is actually a sign of what is to come in 2024.
Having enough composure to avoid a complete disaster against one of the more relentless offenses in the MLB shows that Toronto has some mental toughness. That should come in handy during what figures to be a tense season. General manager Ross Atkins recently dispelled trade rumors revolving around Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and shortstop Bo Bichette. Now, it is time for them to validate the organization's alleged loyalty.
Guerrero is hitting .295 with a .388 on-base percentage, .426 slugging percentage and .814 OPS through 62 games– impressive numbers that could lift him into his fourth-career All-Star Game. Though, management is depending on him to channel the 2021, AL runner-up MVP version of himself (48 home runs and 111 RBIs).
Guerrero is well off that pace right now, but the motivation to sign a hefty contract extension and launch Toronto back into playoff contention might pull him closer to his maximum mashing potential. A road trip to Oakland should give both him and the Blue Jays a golden opportunity to keep their momentum rolling.
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