“When we look back on it, we might say 2021 was an anomaly” – MLB analyst believes Vladimir Guerrero Jr. might be a good player, not a superstar

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who graces the cover of the 2024 MLB The Show video game, has been going through a slump. Entering Wednesday's games, he has gone 20-for-92 with 21 strikeouts. His stat line stands well below expectations at .217/..333/.681, with an OPS of .681.

The Toronto Blue Jays first baseman is facing lots of heat, especially, after his error on Tuesday in a 3-2 loss at the Kansas City Royals. Guerrero missed a catch, leading to the Royals' first run, in the fifth inning. That led to a three-run inning, with all three runs unearned.

This situation made Trevor Plouffe, a former Minnesota Twins infielder, question Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s potential.

“I think we’re seeing what Vlad Guerrero Jr. really is," Plouffe said on "Baseball Today." "When we look back on it, we might say that 2021 was an anomaly for him. He just got hot and was that guy. Chris (Rose), look at the rest of his years. They’ve all been pretty similar.”

In 2021, Guerrero led the American League in home runs (48) and runs (123), along with the highest OBP (.401), SLG (.601), OPS (1.002), OPS+ (167) and total bases (363) as he finished second to Shohei Ohtani in the AL MVP race.

Since then, he hasn’t touched that peak.

“He was 22 years old when he had that 1.000 (OPS) season," Plouffe said. "We’re two years removed from that, and ... he’s fallen back. He’s regressed to the mean. And the mean is a good player, (but) it’s not a superstar level.”

Blue Jays ace backs Vladimir Guerrero Jr. despite his erroneous play

Kevin Gausman was impressive on Tuesday night, pitching for 6.2 innings without allowing any earned runs. However, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s error changed the game's momentum.

“There’s nothing more I can do about it now,” Gausman said, via MLB.com. “It stinks, but I still want Vladdy as my first baseman. I’m very confident in his ability over there. That’s why it stinks. That’s the game, unfortunately. We’re playing really good baseball, and it’s unfortunate that it ended up being as important as it was.”

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also reflected on his error.

“What can I say? I just missed the ball. Period,” Guerrero said via a club interpreter.

The Royals evened the series at 1-1, with the teams to play again on Wednesday and Thursday. Entering Wednesday's games, the Blue Jays (13-11) are on par with the Boston Red Sox (13-11), following the Baltimore Orioles (15-8) and New York Yankees (16-8) in the AL East.