What does Toronto Blue Jays star Guerrero write in dirt before his at-bats?
When Vladimir Guerrero Jr. steps up to the plate for the Toronto Blue Jays, there’s hardly a more anticipated moment in Canadian sports.
During Sunday’s Game 2 of the ALDS, Guerrero delivered easily his biggest moment yet as a member of the team, hitting a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth inning that sent the Rogers Centre into a frenzy.
While closing the game out ended up being a bit more of a chore than anticipated, Guerrero’s moonshot gave Toronto a 9-0 lead and a real sense that maybe, just maybe, they’d actually be able to knock off their longtime rival, the New York Yankees.
But before Guerrero stepped up to the plate for the at-bat, he took a moment for his traditional routine.
What does the Blue Jays star Guerrero write in the ground with his bat?
Guerrero is already eighth in all-time at-bats for the Blue Jays, and has made his way up all sorts of all-time team leaderboards since his MLB debut in 2019.
Before his grand slam (and just about every other at-bat before and after it), sharp fans may have noticed Guerrero digging into the ground near the plate with his bat, making a series of lines in the dirt.
But while Guerrero might not know what will happen with his bat (and the ball) after he swings it, it’s always the same pattern in the dirt before he steps up to the plate.
Guerrero is actually writing the word “Dios,” the Spanish translation for “God.” And he’s been doing it for basically his whole career.
One of the first mentions of the routine dates back to a 2018 article with Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling, when Guerrero was just 18 and had yet to make his major league debut.
And while we don’t know how the rest of the Blue Jays’ playoff run with Guerrero will go, you can likely bet on the fact he’ll still keep digging in the dirt, no matter what the final result may be.
- You might also like:
- Toronto Blue Jays admit Yankees might’ve figured out part of their strategy