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That Guerrero didn’t play became a national story and Atkins had to defend the team’s decision the next day during a news conference that quickly turned contentious.
For Guerrero, the best prospect in baseball, it was just another day. He has become accustomed to all the attention by now.
The son of a Hall of Famer, Guerrero had a .945 OPS over parts of four seasons in the minors. The Jays had little choice but to promote him given how thoroughly he overmatched the competition.
Television cameras followed Guerrero into the Rogers Centre when he made his major league debut on April 26, and Drake gave him a hug at the Toronto Raptors game the next night.
Guerrero was born in Montreal in 1999, the first year his father made the All-Star team with the Expos. So while he grew up in the Dominican Republic, the fans here can still claim him as one of their own. That’s a big part of his appeal.
“It’s great that me and my dad both started our careers in Canada. I thank the Lord I was born here,” Guerrero said Wednesday during a conversation in the clubhouse before batting practice. “I feel at home here.”
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For the rebuilding Jays, Guerrero’s future is a precious thing. So there will other days off, controversial or not.
“It’s a massive, massive opportunity,” Atkins said. “With any opportunity comes responsibility and accountability. We’ve tried to learn as much as we can about maximizing his potential. We obsess about it.”
Guerrero, who spent much of his childhood in major league clubhouses, relies heavily on his father for guidance. But two Red Sox legends, David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez, also are helping out. They’re like surrogate uncles.
“I’ve known them since I was a little kid through my dad,” Guerrero said via a translator. “They’ve always been available to give me a lot of advice. I stay in contact with them all the time. I was talking to [Ortiz] three days ago about hitting.”
Unlike his father, who was a free swinger, Guerrero is a disciplined hitter. His approach more resembles the way Ortiz hit.
“He tells me to do my job, how to act, stay focused and keep swinging,” Guerrero said. “He’s always been that way with me.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora has seen enough to be impressed.
“He dominates the strike zone,” Cora said. “Right now, his swing rate at the edges is up there. But when he dominates the strike zone, he’s very dangerous.
“You can see the quickness of the bat. For such a big guy he moves very well. He has fun, too, doing it. He’s smiling all the time, which is great.”
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Cora can’t remember this much hype for a prospect since college strikeout king Stephen Strasburg came up with the Nationals in 2010.
It’s good for baseball but not necessarily for Guerrero.
“Just let him be,” Cora said. “Just let him be and he’s going to be a good player.”
Or even a great one. Guerrero can hit for average and power and is athletic enough to stay at third base. He hit his fifth home run of the season in Wednesday’s 6-5, 13-inning loss against the Red Sox when he drove a Rick Porcello fastball out to center field in the fourth inning. It registered at 109.7 miles per hour off the bat.
Conditioning is the biggest obstacle. At 6 feet 2 inches, 250 pounds, Guerrero looks more like his father at the end of his career, not the beginning.
Atkins said the Jays are holding Guerrero accountable for staying in shape. It certainly hasn’t impeded his play so far.
For the moment, Guerrero, Red Sox second baseman Michael Chavis, Tampa Bay second baseman Brandon Lowe, and Seattle lefthander Yusei Kikuchi are the leading candidates for American League Rookie of the Year.
Guerrero is hitting .253 with a .798 OPS through 21 games.
On Tuesday, when he got to second base in the fifth inning, Guerrero gave Chavis a hug. They played against each other in the minors and became friendly.
“I respect him a lot. He has so many expectations and he handles it well,” Chavis said. “He’s a good dude.”
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Guerrero returned the compliment.
“First of all, Chavis is a great human being,” he said. “He’s a good player, an excellent hitter. If he keeps working hard he could be Rookie of the Year.”
Not you, Vladdy?
“Not yet,” he said. “I have a lot to learn.”
Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.
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May 23, 2019 at 12:48PM
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