Buck Martinez shares theory on Blue Jays' Guerrero Jr.'s sluggish year
It hasn’t been the easiest season at the plate for Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Arguably the team’s most popular player and one of the faces of the franchise, the former top prospect in baseball has been having as tough a season as he’s had since making his major league debut back in 2019.
Guerrero Jr. has a batting average of .268, an on-base percentage of .345, and a slugging percentage of .435 with 127 hits, to go along with 18 homers in 123 games for the Blue Jays this season. His struggles have been particularly pronounced at home, where he’s hit just five long balls at the Rogers Centre so far.
For many players, his stats might signal an alright year, but Guerrero is just two years removed from a 2021 season with a slash line of .311 / .401 /.601 with 48 homers that saw him finish second in the American League MVP race.
And you can count Blue Jays broadcaster Buck Martinez as the latest person to come up with a theory as to why Guerrero Jr.’s having a tough year.
“I think he has too many voices in his head,” Martinez told Sportsnet 590’s Fan Morning Show earlier this week. Referencing Guerrero Jr.’s family — including his Hall of Fame father — Martinez also added that the young star is dealing with “three or four hitting coaches” that might be overwhelming him with information.
Here is the clip of Buck Martinez saying that Vladdy is being overcoached with "too many voices in his head" and that Vlad is "overwhelmed with information".
He wants Vlad to simplify his approach and "not be coached up a lot" and use the skills that once made him so good! pic.twitter.com/3YV6iTnt1E
— RapsLeafsJays (@RapsLeafsJays) August 24, 2023
Few, if any, people have held more roles in and around the Blue Jays than Martinez himself, who played and managed for the team in addition to his various media roles over the last four decades. While it’s doubtful he’s giving hitting advice to Vlad directly, it’s possible that someone in Guerrero Jr.’s camp could be passing along similar tips.
“Vladdy has always been a natural hitter and he was hitting in the minor leagues before he ever really got into all the analytics and the video and the high-speed pitch machines and all of that. So it needs to get back to basics,” Martinez added. “I’d like to see him simplify things and not really be coached up a lot. Just go up there like he did as a kid, look for the baseball, hit it hard and let the results fall.”
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