Blue Jays hitting coach sends Vladimir Guerrero Jr. message to Yankees during Toronto-New York series originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays started a four-game set in the Bronx on Monday night, as the Yankees will look to get back on track after dropping their last two series against the New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles.
Not only is this an opportunity for the Yankees to improve after what's been a brutal few weeks, but they'll take on one of the better teams in the American League when healthy in a Blue Jays squad that's given them some trouble over the past few years.
Specifically, slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has really swung it well against the Yankees.
While his power numbers have been a bit down throughout the year, he's still hitting .286 with the same amount of walks as strikeouts, and the Blue Jays hitting coach believes that when he gets to New York, he's a completely different player than what we typically see.
“When we go to New York or in the playoffs, it kind of gets him out of his own head,” hitting coach David Popkins said, per The Athletic. “It’s not about getting certain numbers or getting certain home runs. It’s just ‘I’m going to compete. I’m built for these pressure moments.’ He just lets himself flow.”
Playing in Yankee Stadium is definitely one of those moments for a guy like Guerrero, who has proven that he's one of the best hitters in baseball over the past few years.
He doesn't just dominate the Yankees, but it definitely feels like he plays better against the Yankees than most other stars around the league. He's clearly built for these moments, as his coach said, and the Yankees will have to be cautious in how they pitch to him, as he's done a lot of damage against the guys in pinstripes over the past few years.
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