"I'm trying to be like Vladimir Guerrero Jr." - Anthony Santander discloses intriguing skill he's learning from Blue Jays star after $92,500,000 move

On Thursday, Toronto Blue Jays' new acquisition, Anthony Santander, talked about how watching teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. bat helped him improve his skills. Santander, who entered free agency after the end of the 2024 season, signed a five-year, $92.5 million deal to join the Blue Jays in January.

In 2024, Santander enjoyed an excellent campaign with the Baltimore Orioles, spearheading their potent offense with 44 home runs in the regular season. As a result of his consistent performances, he earned his first All-Star selection and Silver Slugger award last year.

Speaking to MLB Network Radio, Anthony Santander, a switch hitter, talked about some of the things he works on to ensure he can hit well from both sides of the plate and how he has "picked up a lot" from teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

"I put a lot of focus into my mechanics from the left side, because it's not my natural [hitting] hand. [As a] right hander, I always wanna pull in, so that makes me go around a lot. It takes me a lot of work to hit the ball to the other side, that's why I became a pull hitter. From the right side, I'm able to use the whole field," Anthony Santander said.

"The preparation comes from the gym, like I always said, trying to do some stuff in the gym too, and go to the cage, working on the inside, trying to go to the other side to stay tight. Trying to be like Vladdy (Vladimir Guerrero Jr.), who is one of the greatest... and now that I have the chance to be with him, [I try to] pick up a lot from him." Santander added

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Former big leaguer shares his opinion on Blue Jays' acquisition of Anthony Santander

Speaking about Anthony Santander's move to Toronto shortly after reports of his acquisition were confirmed, former catcher Yonder Alonso talked about why bringing in the Venezuelan may prove to be quite an inspiring piece of business by the Blue Jays.

"If I'm the Blue Jays, I'm as happy as it gets. I think it's a bargain. For a 30-year-old, this guy pulls every single day, 150-plus games. He's a switch-hitter, which helps a righty-heavy lineup of the Toronto Blue Jays. But when I look at this guy, I see much more than what he does inside the lines. I can see a guy who is bilingual. I can see a guy who can speak up in that clubhouse." Yonder Alonso said, via MLB Network

"I think it also helps the younger guys that are coming up. He understands what it takes to build a team, what it takes to build a winning formula. Toronto has that [now]. Getting a guy like this will not only help now as a 30-year-old, but even when he's 32-33, because we know he's going to post." Alonso added

Heading into the new season, fans will hope Santander can continue to perform the way he did last season and potentially inspire his team to a place in the playoffs after the Blue Jays endured a difficult campaign in 2024.