Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. is apparently major league enough to be MLB’s social media sensation

By Mar 3, 2019, 5:29 PM EST
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
21 Comments

Recently, we have been talking about the near-certain upcoming manipulation of No. 1 overall prospect Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.’s service time by the Blue Jays. That his service time will likely be manipulated comes as no surprise, as the same was done to Kris Bryant a few years ago when he was an über-prospect. The Braves didn’t have Ronald Acuña Jr. open the season on the major league roster last year so they could gain an extra year of service time as well. The Phillies did the same with Maikel Franco. Bryant and Franco, in fact, filed grievances that ultimately did not go anywhere.

Service time manipulation is one piece of the puzzle in the current labor climate in Major League Baseball. We also seen a stagnant free agent market, which has encouraged younger players to agree to team-friendly contract extensions well before they reach eligibility for free agency. Ultimately, these are issues that will need to be addressed when the current collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2021 season.

In the meantime, front offices will continue to deflect as they gain that precious extra year of contractual control. Last week, Jays GM Ross Atkins said of Guerrero, “I just don’t see him as a major league player.” In the minors last season, Guerrero obliterated pitching to the tune of an aggregate .381/.437/.636 triple-slash line with 20 home runs and 78 RBI in 408 plate appearances. He had a .323/.425/.485 line in 2017. Atkins cited defense and a “physical aspect” — presumably referring to Guerrero’s weight — to defend having him start the season at Triple-A rather than on the Opening Day roster of a rebuilding team.

Despite this, Major League Baseball’s own social media accounts have found Guerrero major league enough to post about him.

Guerrero’s double above was from Sunday afternoon’s Grapefruit League game, which went viral because he one-armed it.

MLB even promoted Guerrero last year, quoting Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez, who said, “I think he’s going to be just as special as [Vladimir Guerrero, Sr.]” Vlad Sr., who spent 16 seasons in the majors, is a Hall of Famer, too.

I propose a rule: If Guerrero is good enough for MLB to drum up excitement around him and profit off of his image, then he’s good enough to not be disingenuously stuffed in the minors for two weeks (or more) to start the season.

Rutschman has five hits in opener, Orioles outlast Red Sox 10-9

Associated PressMar 30, 2023, 11:59 PM EDT
Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
0 Comments

BOSTON – The last time Adley Rutschman recalls feeling this level of emotion on a baseball field was playing in front of intimate, 5,000-seat crowds in college at Oregon State.

He trumped that experience at Fenway Park on Thursday in his first career opening day start.

“This blows that out of the water,” Rutschman said.

Rutschman became the first catcher in major league history with five hits in an opener, and the Baltimore Orioles survived a wild ninth inning to beat the Boston Red Sox 10-9.

“To have that close game in the ninth inning and the crowd get so loud. You kind of sit there and say, ‘This is pretty cool,’” said Rutschman, the top overall pick in the 2019 draft.

Rutschman – who debuted for the Orioles last May and quickly became indispensable to the young, resurgent club – homered in his first at-bat and finished 5-for-5 with a career-best four RBIs and a walk on a chilly day at Fenway Park, with a temperature of 38 degrees at first pitch.

Ramon Urias hit a two-run homer for Baltimore, which finished with 15 hits, nine walks and five stolen bases.

Kyle Gibson (1-0) allowed four runs and six hits over five-plus innings to earn his first opening-day victory since his 2021 All-Star season with Texas. Gibson gave up an RBI groundout in the first inning before retiring nine straight Red Sox hitters.

The Orioles nearly gave the game away in the ninth.

With Baltimore leading 10-7, closer Félix Bautista walked pinch-hitter Raimel Tapia. Alex Verdugo followed with a single and advanced to second on an error by center fielder Cedric Mullins.

Rafael Devers struck out. Justin Turner then reached on an infield single to third when Urias’ throw was wide, scoring Tapia. Masataka Yoshida grounded to shortstop Jorge Mateo, who stepped on second for the force but threw wildly to first, allowing Verdugo to score.

Bautista struck out Adam Duvall on three pitches to end it and earn the save.

The Orioles scored four runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to take an 8-2 lead. Baltimore led 10-4 before Bryan Baker allowed three runs in the eighth to give the Red Sox some hope.

The eighth could have been even better for the Red Sox had Devers, who led off the inning, not become the first player in major league history to strike out on a pitch clock violation. Devers was looking down and kicking debris off his cleats when umpire Lance Barksdale signaled a violation that resulted in strike three.

“There’s no excuse,” said Alex Cora, who dropped to 0-5 in opening-day games as Boston’s manager. “They know the rules.”

Boston offseason addition and two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber (0-1) struggled in his Fenway debut, surrendering five runs on six hits and four walks in 3 1/3 innings.

“Less than ideal,” Kluber said. “Didn’t turn out the way I would have hoped for.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: Christian Arroyo stayed in the game after taking an inadvertent cleat to the side of his head in the second inning. Arroyo was applying a tag to Rutschman at second base as he attempted to stretch out a single. Rutschman’s leg flipped over as he slid awkwardly. … LHP James Paxton was placed on the 15-day inured list (retroactive to March 27) with a strained right hamstring.

GOOD COMPANY

Rutschman, one of six Baltimore players making his first opening-day appearance, became the youngest Oriole to homer in his first opening-day at-bat since Cal Ripken Jr. in 1984.

BIG BAGS

The Orioles took advantage of MLB’s bigger bases – going from 15- to 18-inch squares – that are being used for the first time this season. Baltimore hadn’t stolen five bases in a game since last June 24 against the White Sox. Mullins and Jorge Mateo swiped two bags apiece, and Adam Frazier got a huge jump on his steal against reliever Ryan Brasier. There was nothing Boston catcher Reese McGuire could do to stop them and on the majority of Baltimore’s steals, he didn’t bother to throw.

FINAL SPOTS

Right-hander Kaleb Ort and Tapia earned Boston’s final two roster spots to open the season. Tapia got the nod over Jarren Duran, who was sent down to Triple-A Worcester. Ort pitched a scoreless sixth with one strikeout Thursday.

UP NEXT

Orioles: RHP Dean Kremer will make is sixth career start against Boston when the three-game series resumes on Saturday. In 11 road starts last season, he went 5-3 with a 3.63 ERA.

Red Sox: LHP Chris Sale, who has pitched in only 11 games over the past three years due to injuries, is set to begin his seventh season in Boston.