Blue Jays GM: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Will Get MLB Call-Up 'At Some Point Soon'

Fanfare surrounding 20-year-old Toronto Blue Jays prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is sky-high, but the club's general manager is asking for just a bit more patience.

Ross Atkins said Guerrero will be ready to debut in the major leagues "at some point soon," according to Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith on Friday.

The tantalizing third baseman has been developing with the Jays' minor league affiliates since 2016. However, he has already made some big-league noise when he jacked a walk-off home run for Toronto during a 2018 spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals. 

It was especially sweet because the game was held at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, where his Hall of Fame father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., played from 1996 through 2003.

The younger Guerrero continued producing highlights Thursday when he hit a three-run homer in his first game back with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. He had returned from a left oblique strain that occurred March 8 while he was with the Blue Jays in spring training. 

Last season was Guerrero's best as he belted 20 home runs and 136 hits, drove in 78 RBI and hit .381. He spent time with four different clubs across four leagues, per Baseball Reference.

When the Jays do call him up, Guerrero should slot in at third ahead of 26-year-old Brandon Drury and 23-year-old Richard Urena. 

Guerrero Jr. tops MLB Pipeline's top 100 prospects. At No. 2 is Fernando Tatis Jr., whom the San Diego Padres called up on Opening Day. Tatis Jr. became the youngest player since Adrian Beltre in to start on Opening Day.

Since being called up, the 20-year-old has appeared in 13 games for the Padres. In those contests, he has 11 hits, seven RBIs and three home runs for a .244 batting average.

The Blue Jays expect at least that much and more as soon as their prodigy hits the major league diamond.

Soon is not soon enough.

Toronto is off to a 4-9 start this year.