Vladimir Guerrero Jr. belted his 10th home run in 20 games and tallied four RBIs, helping the Toronto Blue Jays fend off a late surge to edge out the Baltimore Orioles 7-6 on Thursday night.
Guerrero was just a single away from hitting for the cycle. He began the scoring with an RBI double off Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer in the first inning, extending his season-high hitting streak to 20 games.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. joining an elite group of hitters
The 25-year old has become the first player since 1937 to record 35 or more hits, 10 or more doubles, 10 or more home runs, and 10 or more walks over a 20-game span in MLB's modern era. He joins an elite group that includes Babe Ruth (1922), Rogers Hornsby (1928), Lou Gehrig (1936), and Joe DiMaggio (1937) according to OptaSTATS.
Guerrero is the second player in Blue Jays history to record multiple hitting streaks of 20 games or more, following Dámaso García.
Dámaso García had hit streaks of 20 games in 1982 and 21 games in 1983.
The Blue Jays slugger ended the second inning with a flyout, then hit a two-run homer to right field against Kremer in the fifth for his 23rd home run of the season. He rounded off his performance with an RBI triple off Bryan Baker in the sixth, which was his first triple of the season.
Guerrero's unreal batting averages for the Toronto Blue Jays
Vladimir Guerrero is hitting .507 (37-for-73) with 11 doubles, 10 home runs, and 22 RBIs during his current streak. This is the longest active hitting streak in the majors and his longest since a career-high 22-game streak in 2022.
Since 1901, just eight MLB players have achieved a .500 batting average with at least 10 home runs over a 20-game period. This exclusive list includes Rogers Hornsby (1928), Jimmie Foxx (1933), Lou Gehrig (1936), Frank Thomas (1997), Larry Walker (1999), Richard Hidalgo (2000), Chipper Jones (2006), and now Guerrero.
In Blue Jays history, no player has matched Guerrero’s .507 average or 1.096 slugging percentage over a 20-game span. Additionally, Guerrero’s 37 hits during this streak are the highest ever recorded in such a period for the franchise.
In consideration for the American League batting title
With a .321 average and a .945 OPS, Guerrero has positioned himself as a contender for the AL batting title, while Bobby Witt Jr. continues to lead with a .349 average.
“There are times that could be easy to do. He’s taking his walk or not chasing. He’s swinging at pitches he should swing at and laying off tough pitches. The way he approaches every single at-bat is what goes unnoticed. You’re watching a really great player figure some [stuff] out right now.” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider when addressing the media.
While many players would be pleased with his stats, Guerrero is held to higher expectations due to his immense potential and the high hopes that have always surrounded him.
Guerrero's recent stretch is especially remarkable given that it seemed like we might never see it again. Following his exceptional 2021 season, where only Shohei Ohtani prevented him from winning the American League MVP, Guerrero had been performing as an exceptional hitter by general standards for over two years.
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