It turns out, Vlad does actually lift

In the September content that we all crave, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was quoted earlier this week to have never lifted weights in the offseason before, but he is going to start now. As it turns out with a pre-game quote before the Blue Jays play against the Trash Birds on Monday, he actually does lift, bro.

What Guerrero actually meant was that he usually lifts in the winter, but just not when he’s at home in the Dominican Republic. Makes sense, because who wants to workout when you’re trying to relax?

But as the season has carried on and the worries have grown, the 20-year-old is in need for an improvement if he wants to lead this team in 2020. The third baseman is carrying a .789 OPS (110 OPS+) and has a total of 2.1 bWAR through his 119 major-league games.

It’s not the worst, but it’s less than everyone expected heading into his rookie season. The former top prospect was heralded to have a immediate all-star season and be in contention for at least the American League Rookie of the Year title.

The quote might have been lost in translation, but it could be assumed that Guerrero will increase his offseason workouts and hope for an improvement from the batter’s box next year.

There could always be arm-chair psychologists and discuss how this is the first time the young phenom has faced adversity in baseball when it comes to performance. Always demolishing the minor leagues, his first taste of MLB has chilled the hype on his future a small amount.

But imagine if he’s able to suddenly unlock a whole new level in his game just because he decided to change something in the offseason. Wild.