Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.

[SupermanBrandon]

Originally Posted by LesExpos

I feel many of us have no long term memory.

Here are some comparables at 20;

Griffey Jr - 155 games .300/22/80/ .847
Mays - 121 games .274/20/68/ .828
Aaron - 122 games .280/13/69/ .769
Mantle - 142 games .311/23/87/ .924
Guerrero - 122 games .272/15/69 .774

Check out what all of those guys did at 21.

Remember, Bonds wasn't in the majors at 20, Gehrig got a cup of coffee, Dimaggio wasn't there either, neither was Chipper (yes, I remember Pendleton), the list goes on and on.

And of course there are the generational talents like Frank Robinson, like Mike Trout and of course Acuna is on that list now too. The list of 20 year old stars is a short one though. I watch every Jays game (yup, die-hard), and you can see him working on things, you can also see he don't like that hard slider and he desperately has to work on that, but he's there. He had a fine year, I realize his cards were crazy going into the year, but I'm still holding. This kid is a stud!

This is great and all but 3 things stand out...
1. The internet wasn’t a thing for any of these other guys.
2. Nobody bet their mortgages and kids tuitions on any of these other guys cards.
3. Fatty is Fat! None of the others were out of shape (for their time) at 20. It shows how not serious he is about this game, showing up looking like that in today’s world when athletes are expected to be at top level performance.

[jasonm2121]

You know who was great? Vlad Guerrero.

[pewe]

Originally Posted by SupermanBrandon

None of the others were out of shape (for their time) at 20. It shows how not serious he is about this game, showing up looking like that in today’s world when athletes are expected to be at top level performance.

Don’t make the mistake of seeing Pete Alonso w/his shirt off... guy makes many 40 year olds look young and in shape



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[SupermanBrandon]

Originally Posted by pewe

Don’t make the mistake of seeing Pete Alonso w/his shirt off... guy makes many 40 year olds look young and in shape

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Unfortunately I have.
But I think there’s a big difference between a slight “dad bod” vs just flat out fat at age 20. This offseason will tell us everything we will ever need to know about this kid. I hope he’s serious about this game and his future.



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[ThoseBackPages]

FatBoy will make plenty of money playing MLB Baseball

[rman112]

Originally Posted by jasonm2121

You know who was great? Vlad Guerrero.

I get that age isn't everything, but..

Vlad Sr. was 21 when he came up (21 and about 6/10 to be more exact). He got a cup of coffee in September. For his age 22 season, he played a little more than half the year. He didn't come up until May. His first full season, he was 23.

Vlad Jr. came up at 20, and won't be 21 until next year.

[premium1981]

Originally Posted by pewe

Don’t make the mistake of seeing Pete Alonso w/his shirt off... guy makes many 40 year olds look young and in shape

His kind of strength doesn't usually come in "ripped" body forms. If you work out, the strongest people at your gym are probably not the ones with 6 packs.

[rman112]

What I find impressive is the bat-to-ball skills.

510 PA / 460 AB / 90 K's. Even if the power has not been there, that's pretty damn good for a 20 year old hitter.

[ThoseBackPages]

doesnt matter what he does, on BLOWOUT, he will always be a punchline

[rman112]

Originally Posted by ThoseBackPages

doesnt matter what he does, on BLOWOUT, he will always be a punchline

He does need to be in better shape, though. I think he's physically gassed at this point. 4 XBH in September. Walking less. Striking out more. You gotta go back to August 22 to find the last HR he's hit. And he can help his range at third, too.

[jasonm2121]

Originally Posted by rman112

I get that age isn't everything, but..

Vlad Sr. was 21 when he came up (21 and about 6/10 to be more exact). He got a cup of coffee in September. For his age 22 season, he played a little more than half the year. He didn't come up until May. His first full season, he was 23.

Vlad Jr. came up at 20, and won't be 21 until next year.

Just saying, his cards are basically dirt in terms of cost. I know they are not limited, but still, such a great player.

[rman112]

Originally Posted by jasonm2121

Just saying, his cards are basically dirt in terms of cost. I know they are not limited, but still, such a great player.

Should've got in on the first ballot.

[shayscards79]

Originally Posted by pewe

Don’t make the mistake of seeing Pete Alonso w/his shirt off... guy makes many 40 year olds look young and in shape



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And there are plenty of 40 year olds that look young and are in good shape. Not really sure why a 20-25 year old professional athlete can't be in great shape. That being said, I don't really care about what Vlad Jr. does, it's his life. I'm not a Jays fan and I own maybe two of his cards.

That being said, you'd think that you want to optimize your career and get the most out of your talent. I spend hours and hours in the gym every week, take supplements and eat clean and I don't get paid millions of dollars to play a sport. Hopefully for his sake he can turn a corner and go off next year.

[KhalDrogo]

He is out of shape, and his play proves that. This has been an ongoing issue for years that he has refused to address. Nobody argues against the talent. But he will continue to struggle if he can’t get in shape.

[jasonm2121]

Originally Posted by rman112

Should've got in on the first ballot.

Agree. Baseball loves to prove a point, doesn't it?

[SupermanBrandon]

Originally Posted by jasonm2121

Just saying, his cards are basically dirt in terms of cost. I know they are not limited, but still, such a great player.

Not to be that guy...but Im going to pull something from the Acuna thread over here...how's Sr's English? You can be the best player in the game (even if its for the Expos, Angels, etc) but if you cant speak to the general population in this country, it's going to be really hard to be the face of baseball. Face of your generation is where the big boy card prices come into play. Is Jr going to be that? Time will tell.

[jasonm2121]

Originally Posted by SupermanBrandon

Not to be that guy...but Im going to pull something from the Acuna thread over here...how's Sr's English? You can be the best player in the game (even if its for the Expos, Angels, etc) but if you cant speak to the general population in this country, it's going to be really hard to be the face of baseball. Face of your generation is where the big boy card prices come into play. Is Jr going to be that? Time will tell.

Agree. I am sure that is part of it. What do you think that will do for Tatis?

[mfisher27]

Not totally a 1:1 but how out of shape did Devers look last year? He looks to have slimmed down this year and put up a monster year. Can’t assume that will happen with Vlad Jr. but it’s not the end of world. It’s correctable. He’s 20, yeah there are 20 year olds in better shape but everyone’s body is different. He can have more endurance and be in better shape but still look relatively the same. Going through a full MLB season is tough. He just needs to get to a point where he is comfortable and can produce at a higher level. Didn’t people used to always bring up how much weight Trout would put on in the offseason? Not muscle, weight. He knew the season would progress and he’d get to where he wanted to be. He knows his body and where it needs to be before and during the season. He’s had multiple years years to figure this out. Fingers crossed Vlad Jr. does the same.

[ThoseBackPages]

just keep prices down this winter, please?

[LVDan]

Originally Posted by ThoseBackPages

just keep prices down this winter, please?

He's doing his best to help that cause the last month or so.
If he turns into the .325 40+ HR guy most scouts predict there will never be a better time than the next 4 months.

[ThoseBackPages]

Originally Posted by LVDan

He's doing his best to help that cause the last month or so.
If he turns into the .325 40+ HR guy most scouts predict there will never be a better time than the next 4 months.

thats what im hoping for!

Not many non-10 RCs listed on ebay. hoping more show up soon

[SupermanBrandon]

Originally Posted by ThoseBackPages

thats what im hoping for!

Not many non-10 RCs listed on ebay. hoping more show up soon

If we can keep talking about his body vs his future stat potential, we should be able to keep them "down" (for him at least).

[LVDan]

Originally Posted by SupermanBrandon

If we can keep talking about his body vs his future stat potential, we should be able to keep them "down" (for him at least).

I guess the ideal "optic" would be him moseying up to the plate this weekend, bottom 2 buttons undone and untucked with a smoked turkey leg in his right hand. He skillfully manages to keep the drumstick in hand(superior bat control) while rolling over a weak grounder to short. On the way to first he drops it, stops to lick his greasy fingers, then picks up his snack and heads back to the dugout, showing exactly where his priorities are.
Something like that anyway.

[speedyjg13]

Originally Posted by jasonm2121

You know who was great? Vlad Guerrero.

Damn straight he was.

[mfisher27]

The bar has been set by Pablo Sandoval when he broke his belt on a swing. Until he does that, he's fine.