Carlos Delgado had some pointed advice for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. amid his roughest season yet.
Guerrero is in the first year of his 14-year, $500 million deal, and the power just hasn't been there.
"First of all, I'd be honest with him. I'd ask him, 'Are you okay?' both physically and mentally. People don't forget to hit overnight," Delgado said on Blair & Barker.
"He hits some balls hard. The one thing that I could say is, go out there and do what you do best. Try to get the barrel to the ball; don't try to do too much."
Delgado didn't stop at technical advice. He got straight to the emotional weight of carrying a franchise-record contract.
"You don't have to carry us to the promised land; just carry your load, and whatever happened in the first five months, there is nothing we can do but learn."
"He's way too talented to be struggling like this if there is nothing wrong with him. If I had to guess, I would say there's something off with him, but I don't know."
Why the recent stretch offers real reason for hope
That last line lands with real weight coming from someone who understood exactly what it's like to hit in the middle of a Blue Jays lineup under pressure.
Delgado's basic prescription, if there's no injury involved, is simple. Forget the first five months and take it one at-bat at a time.
There's actual evidence that approach might be working. Guerrero blasted a three-run homer against the Guardians, part of a series where Toronto took two of three.
He's now hitting .260 with eight home runs and 54 RBIs on the season, numbers still far below his usual standard but trending in the right direction lately.
Toronto secured the tiebreaker over Cleveland with that series win, sitting 0.5 games back of a wild-card spot heading into a road series with the Royals.
"We had a tough first game here, then I loved the way we bounced back," manager John Schneider said. "I like the way we're playing right now."
Kansas City already beat Toronto once at Rogers Centre this season, adding extra weight to this weekend's rematch.
"It's nice to win this series, but we've got to turn the page and try to do it again against a team that just played us really tough at home," Schneider said. "Every day is a new challenge."
Whether Delgado's advice sticks with Guerrero through this stretch, or the recent power outburst turns out to be a blip, could go a long way toward deciding Toronto's playoff fate.
Do you think Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is dealing with something more than just a slump, as Carlos Delgado suggested?
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