Guerrero lived up to the nickname in the Midsummer Classic
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has a big fan in J.D. Martinez.
Martinez, seemingly like everyone else who follows baseball, has been in awe of what Guerrero has accomplished thus far this season. So much so that the Boston Red Sox slugger actually feels bad for the 22-year-old, as his stellar campaign largely is being overshadowed by AL MVP frontrunner Shohei Ohtani.
Guerrero and Martinez linked up Tuesday during batting practice prior to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Coors Field. The Red Sox designated hitter joined the Toronto Blue Jays star’s Instagram Live and promptly gave him a nickname.
“What’s up? I’m here with the man, Vladdy. The pitcher killer!” Martinez said in Spanish, as translated in a video shared Thursday to MLB’s official YouTube page.
Guerrero lived up to the moniker in the Midsummer Classic, going 1-for-3 with two RBIs. He provided the most memorable highlight of the night — a 468-foot solo home run — and earned All-Star Game MVP honors in the process.
The third-year pro wasn’t the only recipient of a Martinez nickname in Denver either. The four-time All-Star also had one ready to go when he met Ohtani.