The only thing better than watching Vladimir Guerrero Jr. blasting a home run out of Rogers Centre is a sighting of him and his father, Guerrero Sr., on the field at the same time.
On Saturday, Guerrero Sr., wearing his Expos jersey, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Vladdy Jr. But, the Blue Jays took the day a step furhter by honoring the two of them in a bobblehead giveaway before the start of Game 1 of the Blue Jays doubleheader against the Rays.
When Vladdy Jr. received his bobblehead, he did not think it looked like him. However, he was ecstatic to have his dad part of the celebration on Saturday.
Tampa Bay defeated Toronto, 6-2, in Game 1. Despite losing on earlier in the day, Vlady Jr. is on pace for another productive year. He has played in 76 games while hitting 18 home runs and slashing .261/.352/.488.
The Blue Jays slugger recently decided to skip his second consecutive Home Run Derby because he did not want to risk a “flare-up” of soreness in his left wrist, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. For Vlady Jr., it is an issue he has been dealing with since the minor leagues.
The 23-year-old missed last year’s Home Run Derby because he wanted to manage his workload before the second half of the MLB season. In 2019, Vlady Jr. broke the Derby record for most home runs in a single round at the time, hitting 29 in the first round and a total of 91 in the event.
First pitch for second game is slated for 6:07 p.m. ET.
