Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on his strategy for All-Star Home Run Derby: "No plan at all. I’m just going to hit homers"
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said he is not contemplating much in terms of strategy for the upcoming All-Star Home Run Derby.
When asked about how he is going to approach the annual power hitting exhibition, he told reporters:
"No plan at all. I'm just going to hit homers."
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is ready to let it fly in Seattle. #HRDerby https://t.co/hm1lCYnw0W
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., in his fifth MLB season, has yet to win the Home Run Derby. Juan Soto, then of the Washington Nationals, is the defending champion and will be back as a member of the San Diego Padres with hopes of becoming the fifth multiple-time and fourth back-to-back winner of the longball contest.
Ken Griffey Jr. has the most Home Run Derby championships with three in the 36 years that the contest has taken place. He became the first multi-time winner by taking the title in 1994 and 1998, and then became the first back-to-back winner by also claiming the derby in 1999.
Prince Fielder, Yoenis Cespedes and Pete Alonso have also won back-to-back titles since.
Guerrero's father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., won the Home Run Derby in 2007 as a member of the Los Angeles Angels.
While Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has not yet won the championship, he does own two Home Run Deby records, both set in 2019. He has the most home runs for a single round with 40, and also the most home runs in a single derby with 91.
Guerrero Jr. is playing in the third All-Star Game of his five-year MLB career when the midsummer classic is played at the Seattle Mariners' home stadium, T-Mobile Park, on Tuesday, July 11. The Home Run Derby will take place one night earlier.
The Blue Jays' primary first baseman since entering the league as the sixth-place finisher in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2019, Guerrero is a folk hero north of the border. He was born in Montreal in 1999, a time when his father was playing for the Montreal Expos.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. swings a big bat for Blue Jays
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has not been up to his usual offensive efforts this season, but is still hitting .277 with 13 home runs and 54 RBIs through 83 games.
For his career, he has 117 homers, 364 RBIs and a .283 batting average. He was the 2021 AL Most Valuable Player runner-up in a season when he led the majors with 48 homers and 123 runs.