Vladdy becomes youngest Blue Jay to reach 1,000 hits

WEST SACRAMENTO -- When Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reached 1,000 career hits in Friday’s 7-6 win over the Athletics at Sutter Health Park, manager John Schneider had a message for his star player.

“Only 2,000 more to go,” Schneider said.

For a player of Guerrero’s caliber, a phrase uttered in jest by the Toronto skipper doesn’t actually seem all that far-fetched. With the way Guerrero rocketed his way to 1,000 hits by just age 26, who knows where he could end up?

That’s a question for another day, of course. For now, Guerrero will enjoy the memory of his latest Blue Jays milestone -- with the promise of more to come.

“I’m very proud to do it here in this organization,” Guerrero said through club interpreter Hector Lebron. “There are going to be many things that I’m going to be here for during my career.”

After signing a 14-year, $500 million extension with the Blue Jays in April, Guerrero is here for the long haul. At his current pace, he’s on track to not merely pass Tony Fernandez for Toronto’s career hits record (1,583) but to leave Fernandez in the dust when all is said and done.

Just look at how young Guerrero is compared to the other six players who began their careers with Toronto and recorded at least 1,000 hits for the team. (Joe Carter, Dámaso García and José Bautista all reached 1,000 hits for the Blue Jays but did not begin their careers with the club.

Youngest Blue Jays to record 1,000th hit for Toronto (began career with team)

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: 26 years, 117 days old

Lloyd Moseby: 27 years, 235 days old

Tony Fernandez: 27 years, 311 days old

Vernon Wells: 28 years, 196 days old

Shannon Stewart: 29 years, 72 days old

George Bell: 29 years, 211 days old

Lloyd Moseby: 27 years, 235 days old

“It takes a lot,” Guerrero said. “I’m just 26 years old. To accomplish that goal at such a young age, it’s big for me.”

It was big for the Blue Jays on Friday night, too.

Guerrero’s line-drive single to the gap in right-center field with one out in the fifth proved critical in the Blue Jays’ 11th win in their past 12 games. With two away, Guerrero stole second, allowing George Springer to break for the plate and score when A’s catcher Shea Langeliers couldn’t handle the throw home.

The bottom half of the lineup came through behind Guerrero, scoring him and plating four more two-out runs in the fifth for a six-spot to put the Blue Jays up 7-0. They needed every single run after the A’s rallied for three runs in the sixth and three more in the ninth, putting the tying run on base before Toronto finally closed the door.

“We go out there and compete, give all we have every single night,” Guerrero said. “When you have that as a team, good things happen.”

The Blue Jays stayed hot with a win over the same opponent Guerrero faced back in his MLB debut as a teenager -- April 26, 2019, at Rogers Centre.

Schneider, asked which of Guerrero’s 1,001 career hits (he added an infield single in the eighth) he was most partial to, couldn’t help but think back to Guerrero’s ninth-inning double down the right-field line.

“The first one always stands out as a 19-year-old kid coming up with a lot of hype,” Schneider said. “I would say that’s my favorite.”

Guerrero didn’t hesitate to pick a favorite hit, either, and it was a lot more recent: “One thousand.”

With one millennium behind him and many to go, Guerrero admitted he has another number in his sights: 2,590.

That’s his father’s Major League hit total. (Maybe, more accurately, the youngster is aiming for 2,591.)

Guerrero’s ultimate goal is 3,000 hits, which sure seems possible for a player already at 1,000 well shy of his 27th birthday. Only 33 players have gotten to 3,000, and nearly all of them are Hall of Famers.

But both those big numbers are a long way off, and Guerrero is well aware he has time to get there. For now, he’ll enjoy hit No. 1,000 and the win that it came in.

And he has plans for the baseball representing his latest milestone.

“I’m just going to do exactly what I do when I reach something: I’m just going to take it home and give it to my dad,” Guerrero said.