Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is on fire so far during the 2025 MLB playoffs and, on paper, that's likely set to continue Tuesday night.
Through two games, the Blue Jays slugger is currently 6-for-9 in the postseason, with two home runs and six RBIs. He's slashing .667/.600/1.333 with two home runs, six RBIs, and an OPS of 1.933. Sure, it's a small sample size, but Vladdy Jr. has hammered the ball in both of Toronto's American League Division Series wins over the Yankees.
In Game 3 on Tuesday, Guerrero will face off against a pitcher he has owned for years. With its season on the line, New York is sending lefty Carlos Rodón to the mound at Yankee Stadium. He'll be facing a lineup that is on a roll right now, but his matchups with the team's 26-year-old star will be closely watched.
Guerrero has 21 career plate appearances against Rodón and positively owns him. Against the 32-year-old three-time All-Star, Guerrero is batting .588, with an on-base percentage of .667 while slugging .941. That's not a typo. He has 10 hits in 17 at-bats, including three doubles and a home run, while he's added four walks. Perhaps most remarkably, Rodón has never struck Guerrero out. That's truly incredible.
Rodón has a lifetime K-rate of 9.89 and has topped 185 strikeouts in four of the past five seasons. Yet when he faces Guerrero, that ability vanishes.
Guerrero has a chance to add to his totals against Rodón in Game 3.
Blue Jays Looked Unstoppable in First Two Games of ALDS
Toronto crushed New York in the opening two games of the ALDS at Rogers Centre, winning Game 1 10–1, then following that up with a 13–7 blowout in Game 2 that was nowhere near as close as the score would indicate.
The Blue Jays scored eight runs off of Yankees relievers in Game 1, then hammered New York's Game 2 starter Max Fried. The man the Yankees inked to a $218 million deal last offseason surrendered seven runs on eight hits in three-plus innings. Guerrero had a grand slam, Daulton Varsho added two home runs, and George Springer also went deep. It was a good, old fashioned drubbing.
Those two wins put Toronto on the brink of the American League Championship Series.
More MLB on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s Dominance Over Carlos Rodón Summed Up in One Crazy Stat.
