AL's Best Player Under 25: Julio Rodriguez vs. Vlad Guerrero Jr.
The American League is loaded with talent, and the two players that begin the best under the age of 25 discussions are Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Julio Rodriguez.
These two star players are very different in what they bring to the table, but there are also some similarities. Picking the cream of the crop is always tricky, but these players have done a really nice job separating themselves from the pack as two of the game’s best.
Let’s look into the pair of AL youngsters and conclude who has the current edge.
The Case for Vladdy
When you have a debate like this, you’ll probably ask yourself which player you’d rather build a franchise around. Guerrero Jr. is a 23-year-old phenom, and you won’t find many players with a great exit velocity off the bat than him. The second-generation star debuted in 2019 and, while solid, did not win AL Rookie of the Year.
Guerrero Jr did boast a top-two finish in the American League MVP vote in 2021. During that MVP-caliber campaign, the Blue Jays slugging first baseman crushed 48 long balls and drove in 111 runs. He didn’t have that same production level in 2022, but he’s shown us what he can bring to the table, and big things will continue to be expected of him in 2023 and moving forward.
The Case for J-Rod
Rodriguez emerged on the scene last year, and the 22-year-old one-upped Vladdy by winning the American League Rookie of the Year award. In his first big league season, Rodriguez finished just outside the top 25 in WAR, and the ceiling for him continues to be one where he can be in the conversation with some of the best players in the game.
Rodriguez played in just 132 games in 2022, and he should see an uptick in his numbers if he can stay healthy and in the lineup for the complete 162 this year. He’s undoubtedly a big part of what the Seattle Mariners are building, and it’s frankly relatively easy to make a case for him as one of the next faces of Major League Baseball. It’s not just in baseball, where the young talent keeps exceeding expectations and improving. Still, it’s undoubtedly very prominent in this game, and Rodriguez is a large proponent of that notion.
The Verdict
You’ll likely not be wrong whichever way you decide to lean in this debate. Guerrero Jr. has shown more at this point because he’s been in the league longer, but Rodriguez may have a higher ceiling as a stronger five-tool player. Whichever player you land on, both are phenomenal choices to start a franchise with, meaning the Blue Jays and Mariners are lucky to have them. Since we are making an overall choice, though, we would lean ever so slightly toward the Mariners’ star center fielder.
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