Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Passes Hall of Famer on Historic List as Toronto Blue Jays Win Again

The Jays, who are battling for the No. 1 seed in the looming American League playoffs, beat the Twins 10-4 on Monday night.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) waives to fans between inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park on Aug 22.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) waives to fans between inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park on Aug 22. | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

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The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Minnesota Twins 10-4 on Monday night at Rogers Centre, moving to 77-55 on the campaign.

They are now just 0.5 games back of the Detroit Tigers for the No. 1 seed in the looming American League playoffs. After finishing last in the American League East last season, the Jays' turnaround is among the best stories in baseball this year.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 1-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs, and he also moved up an interesting list in American League history, according to @StatsCentre:

(Related) Most multi-RBI games - (Primary) 1st baseman in the AL prior to age 27:
249- Foxx
204- Trosky
180- Gehrig
164- Hank Greenberg
144- Boog Powell
141- Guerrero Jr. (Via 2 in tonight's win vs MIN)
140- Harmon Killebrew
140- Eddie Murray
129- Don Mattingly
129- Frank Thomas

Vlad's season

Signed to a $500 million extension earlier this year, Guerrero continues to be one of the most productive hitters in the American League. Though he's only hit 21 homers, he's got a .297 batting average and a .395 on-base percentage. He's carrying an .890 OPS and pairs with George Springer, Alejandro Kirk and Bo Bichette to make one of the most potent lineups in the American League.

Toronto looks like a real contender to win its first World Series title since 1993.

Vlad's career

He won't turn 27 until March of 2026, and Guerrero is already a five-time All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger, a Home Run Derby champion and a Gold Glover.

A career .289 hitter, he has 181 home runs, including a league-best 48 in 2021. He also has two seasons of more than 100 RBIs and six seasons of double-digit home runs.

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) drives in a run with a fielders choice ground out against the Pitt
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) drives in a run with a fielders choice ground out against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at PNC Park on Aug. 18. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Passing Killebrew

A 22-year veteran of the Washington Senators, Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals, Killebrew hit 573 home runs and drove in 1,584 runs. A 13-time All-Star, he also won an MVP Award and was indcuted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984.

He led the American League in home runs six times.

The Blue Jays and Twins will play again on Tuesday at 7:07 p.m. ET.

Related MLB Stories

BO KNOWS: Toronto Blue Jays star Bo Bichette had four hits in a win on Saturday, tying him for second place in some unique team history. CLICK HERE:

CROCHET TIME: Garrett Crochet was brilliant against the Yankees over the weekend, putting him on a list with only Chris Sale and Pedro Martinez in Red Sox history. CLICK HERE:

BOTTOM OF THE ORDER: The Cubs got historic production from Resse McGuire and Co. in a recent win. CLICK HERE:


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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.