LOS ANGELES — From a marketing perspective, it's easy to highlight Vladimir Guerrero Jr. And Shohei Ohtani in the 2025 World Series. They are the faces of their organizations, and this is reflected in the commemorative baseballs with their likeness on them that are sold at Dodger Stadium.
And while it took a while for it to come to life on the baseball field, it now finally feels like the series belongs to two superstars.
Monday evening Ohtani announced his arrival in the Fall Classic with a historic performance, and in the next game, Guerrero Jr. held serve.
WITH Toronto Blue Jays Needing a win after a blowout 18-inning loss, Guerrero Jr. took Ohtani deep in the top of Game 4 Tuesday, instantly changing the pace and setting the tone for an eventual 6-2 win over the team. Los Angeles Dodgers this tied the World Series at two games each.
With Ohtani making his first World Series appearance as a pitcher and Guerrero Jr. behind the plate, this is the kind of matchup that will ensure these baseballs fly off the shelves.
“It's special,” Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement said. “Two guys like that are at the top of our game. It’s cool to take a step back and understand what’s going on there.”
Guerrero Jr. struck out on Ohtani's nasty hit in the first frame, and in the third, with one runner on and the score 2-1, Ohtani left the same pitch in the top of the zone. Guerrero Jr. hit a big hit and sent the ball into the left field bleachers to give the Blue Jays a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
“It was very important for me to hit that home run, and from there we moved forward,” Guerrero Jr. said through interpreter Hector LeBron. “I have a lot of respect for Ohtani and I know mostly myself and him, they talk about us on the show. But when we are between these two lines, we compete. It felt good to be able to hit that homer against him tonight.”
Blue Jays manager John Schneider added: “Vlad did it elite. After last night and all the recognition Shohei received individually and him on the mound today, this is a huge step from Vlad. This is a huge step that will help us move forward. I think it gives you some momentum.”
The homer was Guerrero's first hit in the World Series and seventh in the playoffs. He passed Joe Carter and Jose Bautista and is now the franchise's all-time postseason home run leader.
He's hitting .419/.500/.806 in October, and for historical perspective, consider this: Guerrero Jr. reached base 36 times during the playoffs, and the only player to do that more in his first 15 postseason games was Barry Bonds (38).
The first baseman is so hot that he punishes balls that are usually his kryptonite. Guerrero Jr. is hitting just .227 as a sweeper this season, his lowest batting average at any pitch (min. 185). And while Ohtani left his offering hanging, Guerrero Jr. made him pay.
“I was just looking for a pitch that could do damage, and I saw it right here in the zone and I could do damage,” Guerrero Jr. said when asked if he was looking for a sweeper in the second fight, considering he was knocked out by it earlier.
“Obviously, looking back, it was just an unfortunate move that I wish I could take back,” Ohtani said. “This place was just a bad place.”
Blue Jays manager David Popkins worked with Guerrero Jr. on some changes to his routine during the ALCS, and the slugger has been on a roll since then. While Popkins chose not to share details, he said Guerrero Jr. is the one making any changes to the game.
“You just have to step back, grab some popcorn and enjoy the show,” Popkins said. “Right now technically he’s really good. But morally this is the best I’ve seen of him.”
The coach also recalled Guerrero Jr.'s quote the day before he was awarded the ALCS MVP award.
“When he said, ‘I was born ready,’ he was literally born ready,” Popkins said. “He has the experience and knowledge and emotional control to deal with such moments. It was just amazing to watch him perform every day and make the adjustments that he made.”
What also impressed teammates was that amid this success, Guerrero Jr. remained the same cheerful character between games and off the field. Outfielder Myles Straw, considered by some to be the heart of the club, said Guerrero Jr. remains a consistent image these days: He just walks around in compression shorts and looks “casual, calm and collected.”
“He comes out happy, ready to play every single day, and it’s an honor to play with him,” Straw said.
However, Guerrero Jr. was not always happy with Stroh as such. Before the ALCS, Straw noticed that the first baseman told him he wasn't going to talk to Straw for a week. It's unclear to what extent the outfielder is joking, but he said they are on good terms now.
“We had a small group and he wasn’t invited, but I was,” Straw said with a slight grin. “He said I didn't invite him.”
However, if the Blue Jays get two more wins, they will enjoy the biggest party imaginable, and Straw says if they do, he'll gladly endure more snubs from Guerrero Jr.
“I mean, we have three more games at most, so I think I can do pretty well until then,” Straw said. “And if we end up winning this whole thing, he can be mad at me as long as he wants. We're going to have a long offseason, so if he wants to be angry for three months, that's fine.”
“As long as we end this the right way.”
