Vladimir Guerrero Jr. vs Jose Ramirez Player Prediction for Toronto Blue Jays vs Cleveland Guardians - May 8th | MLB 2022

Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cleveland Guardians All-Star Jose Ramirez will clash at Progressive Field in an afternoon matchup on Sunday, May 8. The match will conclude a four-game weekend series between these clubs.

Due to rain delays postponing Friday's game, these clubs will play a classic doubleheader on Saturday and then wrap things up with a 1:40 p.m. EDT start Sunday. The Guardians took home game one of the series 6-5 as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Jose Ramirez clashed for the first time this season.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. vs Jose Ramirez

So far, Guerrero is proving himself the victor. He hit a two-run shot to deep left field yesterday, giving his squad its only lead in the top of the first inning. Jose Ramirez couldn't keep pace. He managed a single and nothing more. His teammates picked up the slack for him.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Preview

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is hitting .290 so far this season

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is crushing the ball this season. His average exit velocity in the league's 96th percentile and his max exit velocitiy is in the 99th. Only a couple players like Shohei Ohtani and Bryce Harper have hit it harder than Guerrero in 2022. And he'll probably surpass them in that category soon.

He's batting .290 and slugging .559. His OPS is .923, and that's with a deflated on-base percentage. Last year, the 23-year-old carried an OBP of .601; it's only at .364 right now. Expect that number to start creeping up again.

"Vladimir Guerrero Jr. vs Aaron Civale #NextLevel Home Run Exit velo: 105.3 mph Launch angle: 22 deg Proj. distance: 392 ft No doubt about that one That's a dinger in all 30 MLB ballparks" - @Would it dong?

Guerrero's weakness so far has been his chase rate. The slugger looks like he hit reverse on a time machine and morphed back into the less disciplined hitter he was at 20 years old. His chase rate is in the league's 27th percentile. What made Guerrero such a formidable hitter last season was his plate discipline combined with his power. He's still got the latter, but hitters need both to be successful. Otherwise, pitchers will just throw around them.

Jose Ramirez Preview

Jose Ramirez will try to lead his Cleveland Guardians to victory against the Toronto Blue Jays this weekend

Jose Ramirez has an interesting statline compared to Guerrero Jr. The 29-year-old has a brutal average exit velocity in the league's 31st percentile. But his batting average is .315, which is considerably better than Guerrero's. His 29 RBIs dwarf Guerrero's 19, and his two stolen bases show that Ramirez possesses some speed that Guerrero simply will never have.

How are these hitters different? It's simple: chase rate. Ramirez has been the patient hitter this year that Guerrero Jr. was last year. He's in the top percentiles for both strike out rate and whiff percentage. Plus, his chase rate is thirty decimals better than Guerrero's. These statistics go to show that Ramirez is only swinging at the very best offerings. He may not have Guerrero's consistent power, but he makes up for it with good contact and by putting balls in play. His 29 RBIs indicate that he's clutch, too.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. vs Cleveland Guardians pitching

Right-hander Zach Plesac takes the mound for the Guardians on Sunday. He carries a 1-3 record with a 4.44 ERA into the matchup. Fortunate for Guerrero, he's not a lefty. It's strange because he's a right-handed hitter, but Guerrero Jr. has much preferred batting against righties this season. He's hitting a meager .100 against lefties so far. Avoiding them is paramount for his success right now.

"Weird but true stat: Vlad Guerrero Jr. is hitting .100 against lefties this season" - @connor

Guerrero only has three career plate appearances against Zach Plesac and none of them have gone well. He's 0-3 with a strikeout. He'll be looking to capitalize on the righty's cold start this season.

Jose Ramirez vs Toronto Blue Jays pitching

The red-hot righty Alek Manoah will take the mound for the Blue Jays on Sunday. The 6' 6" 260-pound 24-year-old has been as good as they get. He looks like Cy Young material already. He carries a 4-0 record, a 1.45 ERA, and a 0.84 WHIP into Sunday's matchup against the Guardians. Jose Ramirez will be his toughest opponent.

Ramirez has never faced Manoah, but he'll be looking to get accustomed quickly. Ramirez is a switch-hitter. Manoah, who relies heavily on his slider to strike out batters, will have to pitch his fastball to the outside against Ramirez. His slider will simply cut right into Ramirez's left-handed wheelhouse, which is the last thing Manoah wants. Judging from Ramirez's plate discipline this year, he will probably draw walks and opposite-field hits against Manoah.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. vs Jose Ramirez

Ramirez will be looking to get even with Guerrero after the latter led off the series with a massive home run. Ramirez has been a disciplined hitter this season. But if Sunday rolls around and he is still without a home run in this series, expect him to loosen up and start chasing pitches a little more. We already know Guerrero will be, which will make for an entertaining dual between the two sluggers.