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Although his 2023 season represented a step down offensively, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is still very popular among fans of his team, the Toronto Blue Jays, as well as a wider range of baseball enthusiasts.
Recently, the former AL home run champ linked up with Cole Anthony of the NBA's Orlando Magic. After MLB shared an image of the two stars together, fans took to social media to exclaim their delight.
"Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cole Anthony with a jersey swap before the Magic game tonight (via @OrlandoMagic)" - MLB
Born in Montreal to his Hall of Fame father of the same name, Guerrero made his MLB debut for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019. That season, the 245 lb first baseman clobbered 15 home runs and 69 RBIs. However, he began to gain widespread notoriety after hitting .311/.401/.601 with a league-high 48 homers in 2021. Judging by the emotion demonstrated in response to the photo, fans still love Vladdy.
The Dominican stud was pictured alongside Cole Anthony. Anthony, 23, was also born into a family of top-tier athleticism. His father, Greg, played 11 seasons in the NBA. Anthony has been a point guard for the Orlando Magic since 2020, and inked a massive three-year extension worth $39 million last October.
Despite the fact that fans seem to love this pair of young stars, neither have been without their shortcomings. Offensively, 2023 was the worst season of Vladimir Guerrero Jr's young career. In addition to recording the lowest full-season batting average of his career (.264), Vladdy wore the goat horns after being picked off in a decisive Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series last October by Sonny Gray of the Minnesota Twins, a play that led to Toronto's elimination.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. still commands massive respect in the sports world
As if his cache alone was not enough, standing beside Cole Anthony, Guerrero affirms that he is regarded as one of the top up-and-coming names in the sports world. At only 24 years of age, virtually everyone understands that the best days of Guerrero's career are still ahead of him.
Cross-sport polination has never had more wide-ranging effects. By associating with another young star in another sport, Vladdy is implicitly exclaiming that he is a member of a young cohort of stars, not just today, but also tomorrow. As 2024 draws nearer, Jays fans will be looking to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to lead the team towards significant results.
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