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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. named Sporting News’ American League Comeback Player of the Year
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Photo credit: © Dan Hamilton - USA Today
Ryley Delaney
Oct 24, 2024, 17:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 24, 2024, 20:47 EDT
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It’s award season!
On Thursday, Vladimir Guerrer Jr. was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year by The Sporting News.
After a terrific 2021 season where he hit a career-high 48 home runs and slashing .311/.401/.601 for a 166 wRC+, the big question is if he could ever find that success again.
Guerrero Jr. followed up the 2021 season slashing .274/.339/.480 with a team-leading 32 home runs in 2022. His 2023 season saw a bit of a drop-off, finishing with a 118 wRC+ in 682 plate appearances, as he only hit 26 home runs.
Entering the 2024 season, the penultimate season of Guerrero Jr.’s team control, he slashed an incredible .323/.396/.544 with 30 home runs in 697 plate appearances, giving him a 165 wRC+ and a 5.5 fWAR. This was after overcoming a rough April, as the superstar first baseman slashed .345/.412/.590 with 27 home runs in 561 plate appearances for a 181 wRC+ from May 1 until the end of the month.
It’s safe to say that while Guerrero Jr.’s bat has been above average throughout his tenure in the league, the superstar player he was in 2021 was not a fluke given his terrific 2024 season.
With that being said, the 2025 season is the final season of team control that the Blue Jays have with Guerrero Jr. The 25-year-old will have his third and final season of arbitration this off-season and is expected to earn $29.6 million according to MLB Trade Rumors. In fact, Guerrero isn’t the only important player set to become a free agent after the 2025 season, as Bo Bichette’s contract is also set to end at the end of the year.
It’s been reported that the Blue Jays wish to contend in 2025 and their most pressing need is to drastically rebuild the bullpen as soon as possible. It’s also paramount that the Jays don’t allow Guerrero Jr. to hit free agency, as they should be attempting to re-sign their superstar first baseman to a long-term deal.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.

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