TORONTO \u2014 On the eve of the American League Division Series opener, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider had a simple wish for his superstar, first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Play free.<\/p>\n
Guerrero had gone 89 plate appearances since his last home run. Eighty-three of those came after shortstop Bo Bichette, the cleanup hitter behind him, was lost to a left knee sprain. In the Jays\u2019 final 20 regular-season games without Bichette, Guerrero batted .244 with a .558 OPS, looking not at all like a hitter who might carry his team in the postseason.<\/p>\n
He was that hitter Saturday, with Bichette still sidelined, with the rival New York Yankees as the opponent, and with his previous three postseasons haunting him. The Jays draw strength from the way every player on their roster contributes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s insane,\u201d outfielder Myles Straw said. \u201cI\u2019ve never been on a team where it\u2019s someone different every time.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Guerrero, after signing a 14-year, $500 million extension, is the face of the franchise not just for the 2020s, but the 2030s as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhenever Vladdy\u2019s going, the whole team\u2019s going,\u201d infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa said.<\/p>\n
Guerrero, 26, was going in Game 1, lifting the Jays to a 10-1 victory that was a 2-1 game through six innings. His dominant performance included a homer in the first, a diving backhand grab to start an unassisted play in the second, a sacrifice fly on a 3-0 count to cap a four-run seventh and a single to make it a three-hit day in the eighth.<\/p>\n
Guerrero\u2019s two RBIs were one more than he had in his three previous postseasons combined, when he batted .136 and produced a most un-Vlad-like .422 OPS. For the second straight day, he denied taking special pleasure in torturing the Yankees. But at least some of his teammates notice a difference in Guerrero when the opponent is New York.<\/p>\n
During the 2022-23 offseason, Guerrero made headlines when he told a Dominican outlet he would never play for the Yankees. He doubled down on that comment in \u201923, saying it was a personal thing. But in \u201924, as he approached what would have been his free-agent year, he softened his stance, saying he would be happy to play for any team. Now that Guerrero is signed through age 40, Jays fans need not worry about him leaving anytime soon.<\/p>\n
Through Game 1, his career numbers against the Yankees \u2014 a .307 batting average, 23 homers in 391 at-bats and a .930 OPS \u2014 are indeed stunning. But Schneider said, \u201cI think for Vlad it\u2019s more so the postseason. When you think of his time in the big leagues in the postseason, it hasn\u2019t been fun for him or anyone really.\u201d<\/p>\n