Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is ready for the postseason.
“I always say, this is not an NBA game,” Guerrero Jr. said in an interview ahead of Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Thursday.
“It’s not like the NBA, where one guy can score 80 points. It’s nine guys playing together. I’m going to try to stay calm and do my job as well as I can. But at the same time, I’m going to trust my teammates. If you can trust your teammates, you’ll be fine.”
“I’m going to trust my teammates, I’m going to trust my manager, I’m going to trust my front office,” he said of Beau Bissett batting fourth.
This is Guerrero’s third postseason in a Blue Jays uniform.
The first two didn’t make it past the Wild Card Series. They lost to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020 and the Seattle Mariners in 2022.
“Obviously, I don’t want that to happen again,” he said, indicating that he doesn’t want to experience another postseason loss.
When asked if that experience would help him prepare this time around, he said, “Absolutely.”
“In 2020 and last season, I felt very insecure in myself,” Guerrero said. This year, when people see me in the clubhouse, they’re like, ‘This is the guy who’s going to play today,'” he said of his different attitude.바카라사이트
In particular, Game 2 of last year’s Wild Card Series, in which the team blew an 8-1 lead and lost 9-10, was a big motivator for him.
“No matter what the score is, we have to play hard until the end of the game and finish strong,” he said, adding that he learned from last year’s Wild Card Series Game 2 comeback loss.
He’s also wary of his opponent, Minnesota.
“This is a team that won their district. I don’t care what district you’re in, if you win your district, you’re a good team. They’re a big league team, they’re a good team,” he said, emphasizing the need to play at full strength.