Toronto Blue Jays: Breaking down Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s historical performance

The Toronto Blue Jays have had a few players hit three home runs in a single game but none were as emphatic as Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s hat trick against the Washington Nationals.

Single-handedly carrying the Blue Jays with Max Scherzer on the mound isn’t something to brush over considering he smashed a grand slam in his second at-bat of the game. He did his best to wait for Scherzer to make a mistake which doesn’t happen often.

He followed that up with another home run in a similar spot as Scherzer made the mistake of throwing a fastball inside on Guerrero. Then to cap it off, the 22-year-old showed off his power by hitting an opposite-field shot.

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Seeing the maturity in Guerrero Jr.’s approach at the plate has been the most noticeable improvement in his game this season. It also says something when the other team takes notice.

"“I feel like all of his at-bats tonight were really, really incredible — really special,” Nationals player Josh Bell told Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. “We saw [Jacob] deGrom work last week, and that was something else. And we saw it here again. Just a franchise superstar at work. It’s fun to watch.”"

It also helps that Guerrero Jr. provided this outing on a night where the Blue Jays were going with their bullpen as they didn’t have a starter for this game with the injuries the team is facing. It’s easier to manage the arms you bring out when your team is able to generate offence which has been an issue for Toronto at times.

What this also does is provide Guerrero Jr. with confidence in the work he put in to be a better player this season. His father Vladimir Guerrero Sr. made sure to point it out.

It’s hard to not be impressed with what we’re seeing from Guerrero Jr. as he’s slashing .360/.484/.693 with seven home runs and19 RBI. He is close to producing like Mike Trout which is something to be excited about because we constantly heard about Guerrero Jr.’s potential.

Toronto Blue Jays: George Springer close but still not ready for debut

While Guerrero Jr. deserves all the praise and attention right now, many are still waiting on the return of George Springer.

The team deemed not ready yet to return in the series opener against the Nationals. They have one more game against Washington before they welcome the Atlanta Braves.

It would make sense to make use of the off-day and make sure that you’re bringing Springer back when he is comfortable. Considering he is still not feeling right while running should provide some concern even if you try to manage that by making him a designated hitter.

This is where patience is needed because this lineup could use his bat but the last thing you want is to have him go back on the injured list.

What are your thoughts on Guerrero Jr.’s big night against Scherzer? Do you think Springer will debut against the Braves? Let us know in the comments below.