Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Teoscar Hernandez pump each other up with powerful message before Blue Jays-Dodgers World Series opener

Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made his World Series debut in Game 1 of the Fall Classic against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Rogers Centre on Friday.

Ahead of the series opener, the All-Star infielder shared a heartwarming moment with Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez. The veteran outfielder who spent six seasons in Toronto before joining the Seattle Mariners in 2023, shared a message for his former teammate on Instagram.

"With God, I want it," Hernandez captioned his story featuring the World Series trophy and Guerrero Jr.

The Blue Jays star reshared the image in his story, writing:

"Same my compa blessings and success."

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been immense for the Blue Jays in the postseason, driving them to their first World Series in more than three decades. He has batted with a .442 average, six home runs, and 12 RBI heading into Game 1 of the Fall Classic.

The Blue Jays star went 2-for-4, driving in a run for the team in an 11-4 win to take a 1-0 lead in the series against the Dodgers on Monday.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s father turns down Blue Jays star's World Series offer

The Toronto Blue Jays slugger had a special guest for the game as his father and Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr. watched from the stands at Rogers Centre. While Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said he would gift his World Series ring if the Blue Jays triumph against the Dodgers, the Hall of Famer turned down the offer.

“If he wins the World Series, he’s the one who would win it,” said Guerrero Sr. “The most important thing he can do is, in my hometown, Don Gregorio in Nizao, no player from there has won one yet. That would be the greatest thing, to bring a ring to that town.”

Guerrero Jr. is three wins away from bringing the first World Series ring for his family after the Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead with Monday's 11-4 win.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash