Toronto Blue Jays: 3 bold predictions for the 2021 season

Toronto Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be an All-Star

While he is yet to exhibit the power that he showed in the 2019 Home Run Derby, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is raking his way through spring training.

This slimmed down version of Vladdy is mashing everything he sees. His average currently sits in the high .400s, and he’s only gone down on strikes four times.

While he has only left the yard twice this spring, if Guerrero Jr. keeps these numbers up, he could go the rest of his career without another homer and still find himself in Cooperstown.

Guerrero Jr. will also benefit from a watered down talent pool at first base in his quest for his first All Star Game appearance. With Luke Voit’s injury, Guerrero Jr.’s stiffest competition will likely come from Chicago’s José Abreu, Oakland’s Matt Olson and Minnesota’s Miguel Sano.

Guerrero Jr. will also benefit from the aforementioned protection afforded to Blue Jays hitters by the additions of Springer and Marcus Semien. The target on the back of Guerrero Jr. will never disappear, but it’s certainly shrunk in size. With opposing pitchers not having any chance to rest as they work through the Jays’ lineup, Guerrero Jr. can expect more of those precious fastballs.