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Vladdy Jr.'s first base defence catching up to his elite bat

Toronto Blue Jays Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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TORONTO — Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s bat makes most of the headlines, and with good reason.

But often overlooked and definitely under-appreciated, the Toronto Blue Jays star’s glove is erasing errors and saving runs on a regular basis these days, and his first base defence is quickly catching up to his elite bat.

It was all on display Wednesday night, and it was fitting he was flashing with the leather on the night that his Gold Glove bobblehead was handed out to the home fans.

Whether it was turning a toe-tapping double play around the bag, using his hot corner-type arm to almost nail a runner at third, or leaning and stretching to keep his foot on the bag as he snared a wayward Bo Bichette throw to save a run, Guerrero Jr. was showing off the entire package of skills that earned him his first Gold Glove recognition in 2022.

The stats show the improvement.

Using Defensive Runs Saved, Guerrero Jr. has jumped from a minus-4 mark in 2020 to plus-2 in 2021 to plus-3 last season.

That number placed him fourth in baseball amongst first basemen, and first in the American League, helping him earn that aforementioned defensive hardware in his age-23 season.

This year, he’s already at plus-1 in his 89 innings at the position.

But it’s the eye test that really doesn’t lie on this one, as it’s easy to see obvious improvement since he moved to the position during 2020 summer camp ahead of the pandemic-shortened season.

Nine-time Gold Glove winner Don Mattingly knows a thing or two about navigating the first base bag, and the former Miami Marlins manager has seen the evolution from a couple of different viewpoints.

“I saw him early on (in 2020) and he was rough over there,” Mattingly recalled. “And the next time I was able to see him, he was a lot better. Now, watching him work, it’s been really impressive. He knows what he wants to and, obviously, he wins a Gold Glove last year, but his instincts over there are so good. He’s got good hands. He was a third baseman before so it’s not like he’s never caught a ground ball before. I think just taking that position and then playing it in a way that you can be dynamic. Because he’s dynamic in the way he plays it. He plays deep and he’s not afraid to get in that hole and you see now with the runners that he’s starting to play that game with them and try to keep them close. Just his feel for little stuff, and that’s all I’ve tried to do is just give him little stuff that helps him take strides.”

If you’ve watched this Blue Jays club early on this season then you’ve witnessed Guerrero saving a couple of Bichette errors by coming off the bag to track down the ball and apply a tag.

Mattingly nods when the subject of first base defence being under-appreciated, and essentially downgraded by analytics, comes up.

“You should ask the other infielders — that’s who appreciates a guy who can play first,” Mattingly said. “He’s saving them on throws up the line either way, and defence is so important. You’re touching the ball so much over there that a lot of things are coming through you, so if your guy is really rough over there it shows up.”

You don’t have to tell Bichette to appreciate his first baseman.

“Rarely do you find a first baseman with the kind of range he has and the kind of flexibility he has, so he’s definitely saving a lot of runs over there,” Bichette said shortly after Guerrero did just that Wednesday night against the Detroit Tigers.

The pitchers are pretty aware of when he saves a run, too.

“He’s incredible,” veteran right-hander Kevin Gausman said. “To be as big as he is and be able to move the way he can over there and really stretch and some of the positions he gets in when he’s stretching to make a play it’s like, ‘I hope he’s all right.’ 

“He’s obviously a great hitter but I think people don’t talk enough about how much he has an effect on the game at first.”

For Guerrero, his movement has been a focus.

When he gets to the ballpark on a daily basis, one of the first things he does is make sure he completes the flexibility work that the club puts together for him.

He hasn’t taken up yoga or pilates just yet, but staying flexible is key to Guerrero’s plan to secure more Gold Gloves.

“Once I get to the clubhouse, I do a lot of stretching before the game,” he said. “After the game, I’m taking care of my recovery and that’s very important to me because I have to keep my agility and flexibility on point.”

Despite all the improvement and the early accolades that have come with it, Guerrero isn’t satisfied.

“I don’t want to say I feel proud of my defence yet because I think every day I can better,” Guerrero said through translator Tito Lebron. “That’s my focus, just keep getting better.

“Just trying to be perfect. I know you’re not going to be perfect, but at least get close to that. I’m not focused on one thing in particular, just keep getting better.”

His manager has seen the full evolution up close and personal, all the way from A-ball third baseman.

“He works his ass off,” manager John Schneider pointed out. “He did at third base, he does it at first base. He takes a lot of pride in his defence. He’s a complete baseball player. People see the power and the home runs, but Vlad can hit, he’s smart, he understands game situations and puts the work in.

“He’s great at balls in the dirt. Unnoticed stuff, too, like when he’s holding runners and he’s kind of dekeing them a little bit and keeping them close. To have a guy like that over at first is a luxury, and you have plus arm strength if it’s a relay throw or a throw across the diamond.”

Quietly, Guerrero’s elite arm has given the Jays a bit of a secret weapon on seemingly routine infield plays.

It may not show up often, but he has the ability to quickly change a simple relay or cut play into an out.

“I don’t think any other first baseman has that arm,” Bichette said. “He’s able to do a lot of things over there that other people can’t and it allows us to play defence a little bit different on cuts and relays and stuff.”

Three years ago, Guerrero didn’t want to give in to the notion that he needed to be moved off third base.

These days, with the benefit of hindsight, the move has been completely embraced.

Showing up in 2020 out of shape helped redefine him in a lot of ways.

“In a way, I deserved it because of the way I showed up to spring training back in 2020,” Guerrero said. “I had to do it and it was for my benefit. It was what it was and I deserved that a little bit.”

Now, he may deserve another Gold Glove or two down the road, instead.