Vlad Guerrero Jr. Establishing Himself as King of Home Runs

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the first player in Major League Baseball to reach 20 home runs this season, and now he has a two-homer lead on the rest of the field.

WynnBET has recently released odds on who will finish the MLB season with the most home runs, and it’s Guerrero Jr. who tops the odds list at +375 (bet $100 to profit $375). Ronald Acuna Jr., J.D. Martinez, and Fernando Tatis Jr. are next on the oddsboard, all listed at +700.

It’s surprising to see J.D. Martinez tied for the second shortest odds, as the Red Sox outfielder only has 13 home runs this year compared to Tatis Jr. and Acuna Jr who both have 18.

Guerrero Jr., who reportedly lost 42 lbs during the offseason, has been fantastic for the Toronto Blue Jays through the first two and a half months of the season. Not only does he lead the majors in home runs, but he also leads in runs batted in (52), and he’s first in the American League in batting average at .338.

He and Los Angeles Angels pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani are in a two-man race to be named the American League MVP. Ohtani is currently set as the +130 favorite, but Guerrero Jr. is right behind him at +135 odds to win the award.

Despite the strong performance from Guerrero Jr. and their offense, the Blue Jays are on the outside looking in for both the race for the American League East lead as well as the wild card hunt. At 32-30, the Jays are 7.5 games back from the Tampa Bay Rays atop the division, and they’re three games back from the Houston Astros for the second wild card spot.

Guerrero Jr. is well on his way to surpassing his father's career high in home runs. Vladimir Guerrero Sr., who played in the Majors from 1996-2011, hit his single-season career high in home runs in 2000 with the Montreal Expos when he recorded a total of 44. If Guerrero Jr. keeps on his current pace, he’ll finish his 2021 campaign with 52 dingers.