Vladimir Guerrero Jr. named Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year

Montreal-born Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been named Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year. Photo Credit: Amanda Fewer

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Toronto Blue Jays' top prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was named Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year on Friday.

The honour came one day after the 19-year-old phenom was named MLB Pipeline's Hitter of the Year.

Born in Montreal, Que., while his father was playing for the Expos, Guerrero Jr. flirted with .400 for much of the 2018 campaign, finishing with a combined .381 batting average in 95 games between triple-A Buffalo and double-A New Hampshire. His batting average was the highest in the minor leagues this season.

The 6-foot-1 third baseman also topped minor league hitters in slugging percentage (.636) and on-base plus slugging percentage (1.073). Now in his third season in the Blue Jays organization, Guerrero Jr. also set career bests in doubles (29), home runs (20), RBI (78) and on-base percentage (.437).  And his numbers would have been even better if he hadn't missed five weeks due to a knee injury suffered in early June.

With the double-A Fisher Cats, Guerrero batted .402 with 14 home runs and 60 RBI in 61 contests, before he was promoted to triple-A. In 30 games with the Bisons, he put together a .336/.414/.564 slash line and added six home runs.

Originally signed as a 16-year-old international free agent for $3.9 million by the Blue Jays in 2015, Guerrero Jr. has quickly climbed through the club's minor league ranks and is widely regarded as the best prospect in baseball.

To the chagrin of many Blue Jays fans, he was not called up by the big club in September. Guerrero will instead head to the Arizona Fall League to hone his skills with the Surprise Saguaros who will be managed by Windsor, Ont., native and Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year Stubby Clapp.

Baseball America is a trailblazing and highly regarded prospect watch publication. Despite its title, it was actually founded in 1981 in the garage of Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Allan Simpson in White Rock, BC.