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Guerrero Jr. has been hyped as a can’t-miss prospect for more than a year, and his arrival mirrors the anticipation for such players as and Ken Griffey Jr. He entered this season as the game’s top prospect in rankings by Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus.

He actually could have made his debut last season if not for a knee injury that robbed him of more than a month of action. As a 19-year-old, he hit .381 with 20 home runs and 78 runs batted in just 357 at bats, most of which came in AA and AAA ball against much older competition.

MLB Top Prospect and AL Rookie of the Year Favorite Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Makes Highly Anticipated Debut

I m impressed, to tell you the truth, Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo told the Associated Press in spring training. That s the mark of a star. He s going to be a star someday, as we all know.

Many felt Guerrero was ready to play for the Blue Jays at the beginning of this season. However, Toronto officials kept him in AAA Buffalo for the first month of the season. In doing so, the Blue Jays gained an extra year of control over the promising slugger.

Thousands arrived early Friday to watch him take batting practice and see him hit tape-measure shots into the stadium’s upper decks.

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