Toronto Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on cusp of rare feat
By David Hill
Even though the American League MVP race is considered to be all but over, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is doing his best to make the final vote into a contest. The Toronto Blue Jays young star is threatening to win the Triple Crown, as he led the majors in homers and batting average heading into Wednesday’s action. While he is fourth in the AL in RBI, he is just one hot streak away from passing Salvador Perez for the lead.
As impressive of a feat as that would be, Guerrero is on pace for an even rarer accomplishment. He is also leading the majors in hits in addition to pacing the baseball universe in homers, something that has happened only four times since 1901.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on cusp of MLB history
The list of players that have accomplished that feat includes some of the greats in major league history. Hall of Famers Ty Cobb (1909), Rogers Hornsby (1922), and Jim Rice (1978) all managed to lead the league in both categories, with Rice the most recent to do so. Tommy Holmes (1945) was a solid player and a two time All Star, but has become somewhat forgotten these days.
Next. Ray's history making night. dark
In theory, that list bodes well for Guerrero’s MVP hopes. While the award did not exist when Cobb or Hornsby had their accomplishments, the other two had strong showings at the ballot box. Rice was named the AL MVP that season, while Holmes finished second to Phil Cavarretta on the NL side.
This season could also just be the beginning for Guerrero. He is just 22 years old and may etch his name into the history books alongside some of the greatest players ever to appear in the majors. It is no wonder that he is expected to reach the same heights as his father by the time his career is over.
Next. The chase for the AL Wild Card. dark
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could end up making history this year. The Toronto Blue Jays slugger could be the fifth player to lead the majors in hits and homers since 1901.