Dodgers Star Sends Message to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Amid World Series: 'He's the Face of the Organization'
As the Los Angeles Dodgers face elimination against the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series, outfielder Teoscar Hernández has been praising teammate-turned-adversary Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The 26-year-old slugger has been on a tear throughout the Fall Classic, hitting .364 with a 1.136 OPS, and Hernandez believes there's one key difference that sets him apart.
"Honestly, I think the only difference that I see in him is that he understands now that he has to be the leader of that group," Hernández said. "He has to do things and then the team are going to follow him because that's the way everybody was seeing him since the first day he got into the league."
Hernandez, who played with Guerrero Jr. on the Blue Jays from 2019 to 2022, credits his former teammate for taking a step up in leadership roles.
"Vlad has become more confident and more of a leader," Hernández said. "When we were there, I always tell him that he's the face of the organization, and he has to be a leader for the group."
The Blue Jays' star player has been following Hernandez's career closely throughout the season and playoffs.
"Yeah, as much as I want to think about myself and the Dodgers, you know, I have a good relationship with him," Hernández said. "He's doing the same thing with me. He's following every step of my career, all of the games and everything."
Guerrero Jr.'s father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., also started his MLB career in Canada, playing eight seasons with the Montreal Expos before going on to a Hall of Fame career.
Now, Vlad Jr. has a chance to follow in his father's footsteps and bring a championship to Canada for the first time since 1993.
As the series shifts back to Toronto for Game 6, Hernández remains confident that his former teammate will come out on top.
"It's just incredible," Hernández said. "There's nothing that has surprised me, because I know he was able to do that. I think he just doesn't have the opportunity like now to show everything that he can do on the field."
As the Los Angeles Dodgers face elimination against the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series, outfielder Teoscar Hernández has been praising teammate-turned-adversary Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The 26-year-old slugger has been on a tear throughout the Fall Classic, hitting .364 with a 1.136 OPS, and Hernandez believes there's one key difference that sets him apart.
"Honestly, I think the only difference that I see in him is that he understands now that he has to be the leader of that group," Hernández said. "He has to do things and then the team are going to follow him because that's the way everybody was seeing him since the first day he got into the league."
Hernandez, who played with Guerrero Jr. on the Blue Jays from 2019 to 2022, credits his former teammate for taking a step up in leadership roles.
"Vlad has become more confident and more of a leader," Hernández said. "When we were there, I always tell him that he's the face of the organization, and he has to be a leader for the group."
The Blue Jays' star player has been following Hernandez's career closely throughout the season and playoffs.
"Yeah, as much as I want to think about myself and the Dodgers, you know, I have a good relationship with him," Hernández said. "He's doing the same thing with me. He's following every step of my career, all of the games and everything."
Guerrero Jr.'s father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., also started his MLB career in Canada, playing eight seasons with the Montreal Expos before going on to a Hall of Fame career.
Now, Vlad Jr. has a chance to follow in his father's footsteps and bring a championship to Canada for the first time since 1993.
As the series shifts back to Toronto for Game 6, Hernández remains confident that his former teammate will come out on top.
"It's just incredible," Hernández said. "There's nothing that has surprised me, because I know he was able to do that. I think he just doesn't have the opportunity like now to show everything that he can do on the field."
but seriously though, it's cool to see two talented players having each other's backs. I mean, who wouldn't want to play with someone as skilled as Guerrero Jr? 
the Blue Jays are definitely in for a treat if they can take down the Dodgers! 
! Like, Vlad Jr. has been straight fire this whole World Series and I'm not surprised @ all 
. He's always known to be a superstar on the field, but now he's taking it to a whole new level as a leader 
. It's like, you can just tell he's got that "it" factor 
! The fact that his dad was an MLB legend too is just extra 
. I'm loving how confident Hernández is in Guerrero Jr.'s abilities - the man knows what he sees 
! And let's be real, it would mean the world for Canada to win a championship after so long 
. Bring on Game 6 and let's see if Vlad Jr. can bring home that W for Toronto! 
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. Teoscar Hernández's comments about Vladimir Guerrero Jr. being the leader of his team are more than just a compliment, they're a reflection of the weight that comes with being a trailblazer 
. The pressure to perform not only on the field but also as a symbol of hope for an entire nation is immense 
i was thinking it would go for like 7 or 8 games lol. anyway back to Vlad Jr.. i think Teo is right about him being the face of the organization, but im not surprised he's killing it in the playoffs 
its gonna be so cool if canada wins their first world series championship 
i mean, teoscar hernández is just being honest, vladimir guerrero jr is definitely the leader of the blue jays and they're gonna win this thing. it's not like he hasn't been saying he's the face of the organization since day one or what? 
but i'm still gonna put my money on the blue jays 
especially teoscar hernandez's message to vladimir guerrero jr, it's clear they have a strong bond 
and hrnandez is giving props to his former teammate for stepping up as a leader 
. He's come a long way since playing with Hernández, but we've only just seen glimpses of what he can do at this level. Still, it's awesome to see him following in his dad's footsteps and potentially bringing a championship to Canada 
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. The Blue Jays have been a bit of a wild card this season, but I got faith in them 
. It's gonna be a close series, for sure, but if anyone can bring home the win, it's Vladimir Guerrero Jr.!