Yesterday marked the end of Spring Training and the start of the regular season. Opening Day has gone well for the Toronto Blue Jays in recent years. They have now won five openers in a row. This recent success on Opening Day is largely due to Bo Bichette and Vladdy Guerrero Jr.
Bo Bichette & Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have propelled the Blue Jays to a 5-game winning streak on Opening Day#TOTHECORE pic.twitter.com/xSxlKEsNRl
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) March 28, 2024
Opening Day Continues to Showcase Success for Bichette & Vladdy
Careers On Opening Day (Bichette & Vladdy)
The numbers don’t lie, as Bichette and Vladdy have put up good numbers on Opening Day in their careers. They have recorded a .372 average, a .417 OBP, a .488 SLG, one home run, and nine RBI. In Thursday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Vladdy recorded his first career Opening Day home run, and it was a beauty at 450 feet deep. For those who continue to underestimate the abilities of the Blue Jays this season, the players shall continue to silence those critics. The fact they hit well with runners in scoring position could indicate they will improve in that area this season. It was elite Opening Day vibes, and the Blue Jays’ bats did not fall silent, especially those of Vladdy and Bichette. These two took care of business and did it with style. Bichette continued his success from spring training, and Vladdy followed in his footsteps.
Blue Jays Offense
You can ask for nothing more than offensive consistency from the Blue Jays. They will get the upper hand if they can continue to produce with guys on base and add those extra runs. The Blue Jays rarely have issues with getting hits, but last year they had problems driving in runs. The Blue Jays have many players who can be lethal at the plate and drive in those much-needed runs. Also, once the Blue Jays have all their injured players return from the IL, such as Danny Jansen, the offense should improve. When Jansen is healthy, he is productive for the Blue Jays.
The Opening Day home run from Vladdy has given us a glimpse that this could very well be his year to shine. He received a lot of criticism last season, although he still put up 26 home runs and 94 RBI. Vladdy’s swings were exactly what manager John Schneider was looking for. He fine-tuned his swing in the offseason, which helped with the season’s first game. Hopefully, it will continue to help the Blue Jays throughout the regular season. Vladdy also made a one-pitch adjustment before he hit the mammoth homer. Making those adjustments is what separates the good from the elite.
On Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a great breakdown by @markdero7 just now on @MLBNetwork: DeRo points out that Vladdy didn’t drop his hands as much yesterday as he did in 2023. He’s tighter and more direct to the ball. Here was the result: pic.twitter.com/SAD5mjbQmz
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) March 29, 2024
Bichette and Vladdy Provide Offensive Leadership
Does the Opening Day win point to a bounce-back season for the Blue Jays? Only time will tell, but the team looked sharp on Thursday. Their winning streak in openers continued thanks to Vladdy and Bichette. The adjustments that the Blue Jays have made in the offseason, and those adjustments made while at the plate, should continue to work in their favor. Fans were sharing their frustrations about Vladdy last season, but clearly, that didn’t get into his head too much. If Vladdy continues to produce effectively, this could be his best year yet. Bichette and Vladdy are both leaders on this team, and their success is contagious.
Photo Credit: © Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
