User talk:Will Go to Annual Salary Hearing... KRW 24 Billion Highest Booking Rate Ever, Explodes Confidence "It Will Be Guerrero's Year"
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who secured at least $18.05 million (about 24 billion won) in salary and received the highest salary ever for a player who went through a Major League Baseball salary adjustment hearing, predicted a strong performance in the new season.
Major League Baseball's leading video game "MLB The Show" announced on the 31st (Korea Standard Time) that it selected Guerrero as its cover model for 2024. The MLB The Show series, which boasts global popularity, features superstars representing Major League Baseball every year with their best skills and popularity.
The son continues his legacy 18 years after his father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., who was a cover model in 2006. Gary Roy has extraordinary storylines and star potential, but he is considered somewhat surprising in that he struggled with a batting average of 0.264 (159 hits in 602 at-bats), 26 homers, 94 RBIs and an OPS of 0.788 in 156 games last year.
According to MLB.com , Ramon Russell, the brand manager of MLB The Show, said, "It was really easy to choose Guerrero as the cover model. His father is a big part of it, too, but we wanted to focus on him," adding that a special documentary was filmed in Guerrero's hometown of the Dominican Republic last month to shed light on his growth.
In interviews with local media, including The Associated Press, Guerrero said, "I feel emotions that are inexplicable. I'm really happy to follow in his father's footsteps and grace the cover. I grew up playing this game since I was young. I appeared on the cover of a game I played with my friends and family. It came true. I want everyone to be a cover model," he expressed his joy.
He became famous as the son of his father, Guerrero, who entered the Hall of Fame. In 2021, in his third year since debut, he hit .31 with a batting average of 188 for 604, 48 home runs, 111 RBIs, 123 runs, a .411 on-base percentage, a .612 slugging percentage, and an OPS 1.002. His potential exploded. He led the American League in home runs, runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. Although he was not named the MVP because he was blocked by Shohei Ohtani, who played full-time with a double, he finished second in the vote.
Question marks have begun to appear as the performance has declined for two consecutive years, but this year, he is adjusting his swing mechanism to bounce back. "I may not notice it with my own eyes, but I am improving my technology to minimize movement," Guerrero said, expressing confidence, "This will be my season. I am 100 percent confident that it will be a great year."
Guerrero, who was out of normal condition last year due to injuries to his left wrist and right knee, is also focusing on treatment and muscle strengthening to prevent his injury from worsening. "Injuries are also a part of sports. I don't want to say that I wasn't feeling well. Now I'm 100 percent healthy." "I'm 150 percent confident that I'll be back to my normal self," he said.
Guerrero is also facing a salary adjustment hearing. He received $14.5 million last year and asked for $19 million this year, his second year in eligibility for salary adjustment, but Toronto offered $18.05 million, a $1.85 million gap. In the salary hearing, a three-member panel meets the terms of both the club and the players. Whatever the results, he booked the highest salary ever among the players who went to the salary adjustment hearing, surpassing Teoscar Hernandez (Dodgers), who received $14 million from the Seattle Mariners last year.
Guerrero, who will become a free agent after the next two seasons, has not heard about extending his contract with Toronto. Due to Guerrero's recent slump, long-term contracts are not easy. If Guerrero recovers this year, discussions over contract extension will likely become more active.
