Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports)
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hasn’t just lived up to his father’s legacy, he’s perfectly matched Vladimir Guerrero Sr.’s output in the first 403 MLB games.
The phrase “like father, like son” has never matched a father-son duo quite like Vladimir Guerrero Sr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Seriously, they are identical statistically through their first 403 career games.
The elder Guerrero had 87 home runs and an on-base percentage of .363 in the initial years of his career. The younger has exactly that many home runs while matching the OBP as well.
What are the odds of that one?
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the mirror image of his father on the stat sheet
The perfectly matching home run and OBP numbers are pretty awesome, but it’s similarly remarkable how close father and son are in just about every statistical category.
- Vladimir Guerrero Sr.: 476 hits, 246 runs, 266 RBI, .311/.364/.562
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: 429 hits, 240 runs, 250 RBI, .284/.363/.513
There are only a few categories with significant differences. Senior has Junior beat with 27 stolen bases to just five. The son has 178 walks to his dad’s 114.
Similarly, both players only managed one All-Star appearance in their first four years in the league, though Guerrero Jr. could certainly pick up his second nod this summer.
The Blue Jays star has managed to live up to lofty expectations so far. The next challenge is to match his father in excellent longevity. After his first 403 games, Guerrero Sr. became a perennial All-Star while playing 16 total years in the majors. Hopefully, Guerrero Jr. can entertain baseball fans for another decade or so.