(Toronto) Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is returning to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Guerrero, 25, was voted into the AL starting lineup by fans for the fourth time in his career, beating Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle.
“Very happy, very happy, that’s what you work for as a baseball player,” Guerrero said through translator Hector Lebron in the Rogers Centre dugout. “I mean, four in a row is great.”
Guerrero has a .298 batting average and a .376 batting average, hitting 13 homers and driving in 50 runs in 84 games this season. He’s had a great run recently, with an active eight-game hitting streak heading into Wednesday’s game against the Houston Astros.
During that stretch, his batting average was .471 with five long balls and 19 RBIs.
“I never questioned myself,” Guerrero said of his troubles in April. “You’re never going to accomplish that if you doubt yourself.”
Globe Life Park, home of the Texas Rangers in Arlington, will host the All-Star Game on July 16.
The only other Blue Jays players to appear in at least three All-Star games are José Bautista (four times), Roberto Alomar (four) and Joe Carter (three).
The Dominican was born in Montreal when his father, Vladimir Guerrero, was playing for the Expos.
Guerrero Jr. has a career batting average of .281 with 143 home runs, 454 RBIs and 419 runs scored in six seasons, all with the Blue Jays. His father has a career batting average of .318 with 449 home runs, 1,496 RBIs and 1,328 runs scored in 16 seasons.
The father has played in nine All-Star games and has been in the Hall of Fame since 2018. Guerrero Jr. has said he would like to have a career similar to his father’s.
“Not just for the All-Star Games, but for everything in general,” he said. “I want to be like him in everything.”
Both men won the circuit competition, with the younger one doing so last year. However, he has indicated that he does not wish to take part this year.
“I’m very focused on helping my team win,” Guerrero said.
“It’s something that can tire you out a little bit, so I’m going to skip my turn, but maybe in the future I will.”
Other players elected to the American League are second baseman Jose Altuve (Astros), third baseman Jose Ramirez (Cleveland Guardians), shortstop Gunnar Henderson (Baltimore Orioles), catcher Adley Rutschman (Orioles), designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (Astros), and outfielders Aaron Judge (New York Yankees), Juan Soto (Yankees) and Steven Kwan (Guardians).
In the National League, Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies), Ketel Marte (Arizona Diamondbacks), Trea Turner (Phillies), Alec Bohm (Phillies), William Contreras (Milwaukee Brewers), Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers), Christian Yelich, (Brewers), Jurickson Profar (San Diego Padres) and Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres) were selected.