Vladimir Guerrero may be wearing an Angels hat when his plaque is hung in Cooperstown later this summer, but he just as easily could've gone into the Hall of Fame representing the Expos. Which is one of the many reasons it was so cool when his Vlad Jr. hit a walk-off homer against the Cardinals in the Blue Jays' annual Spring Training "home" game in Montreal.
That was just the first sign that Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., has a chance to be just as big a star as his dad was. MLB.com has him as their second-ranked prospect in all of baseball, behind only the Braves' Ronald Acuna, who made his Major League debut earlier this month and likely won't be seen in a Minor League ballpark again except for a rehab assignment. Which means Vlad Jr. is now the highest-ranked prospect still in the Minors.
A lot of scouts think Vlad Jr.'s time in the Minors is limited, too. He's currently playing for Double-A New Hampshire and absolutely raking (.413, 7 HR, 41 RBI in 36 games). Clearly he seems ripe for a promotion. And there are those who'd like him to skip Triple-A altogether and make the move straight to Toronto. There's one small problem with that plan, though. His name is Josh Donaldson.
Donaldson isn't just the Face of the Franchise. He plays the same position as Guerrero. And, if you're thinking DHing one of them is an option, the Blue Jays already have a full-time DH in Kendrys Morales (who, granted, is hitting about .160). In other words, there isn't really a regular spot in the big league lineup for Vlad Jr., and he's not the type of guy you're calling up just to get him "Major League experience."
Sure, you could call him up to Triple-A, have him play shortstop in Buffalo, then promote him to the Majors later in the summer. But if the long-term plan is for him to be the Blue Jays' third baseman (Donaldson is a free agent after the season), would that serve any practical purpose? And would it actually serve to benefit him?
Keep in mind, Vlad Guerrero Jr. is only 19 years old! And he's never played above Double A! I'm not saying he isn't Big League ready, because it clearly looks like he is. But I don't think bypassing Triple A entirely and fast-tracking him right to the Majors is necessarily the right call, either.
Even if he is ready for the Majors, would playing a few months a Triple A really hurt? Probably not. And, besides, he might be tearing up Double A, but Triple A pitchers are better than Double A pitchers. Just like Major League pitchers are better than both. See how he handles the Triple A pitching first.
But, herein lies Toronto's problem. The Blue Jays see themselves as contenders this season, but they know the AL East is out of reach. Whoever doesn't win the East between the Yankees and Red Sox will end up hosting the Wild Card Game, which leaves one wild card spot up for grabs (unless the Angels run away with that). So, any roster moves they make for a playoff "run" would likely only set them up for a one-game crap shoot...on the road. Do you call Guerrero up and start his arbitration clock (another consideration) for a playoff experience that could last only one game, if it even happens at all.
If the Blue Jays want to make that push, though, they need to have their nine best hitters in the lineup night after night. And Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., is arguably one of the nine best hitters they've got. Although, again, where would they put him?
Of course, this could all end up being a non-issue anyway. Toronto is already eight games back in the AL East and 3.5 games behind the Angels for the second wild card (they also trail Seattle and Oakland). Yes, it's only mid-May. But those gaps have just as much potential of getting larger as they do of becoming more manageable.
And if they end up being sellers at the deadline, they could handle it either way. They could easily trade Donaldson, try to get something for him before he leaves as a free agent, and hand Guerrero the third base job. Or they could stand pat with the team they've got and not rush him along, knowing that they likely aren't going to make the playoffs anyway.
Either way, it does seem likely that we'll see Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., in the Major Leagues this season, either as a September call-up or earlier. My bet is on September. Once he gets to the Majors, though, it doesn't seem like he'll be going back down. In fact, I'm installing him as the early favorite for AL Rookie of the Year in 2019, when the Blue Jays' third base job will be all his.
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