John Schneider isn't moving Vladimir Guerrero Jr. out of the order, no matter how the season has gone.
The manager said he doesn't see value in dropping Guerrero down the lineup right now.
He was direct about the reasoning too. Schneider doesn't feel Guerrero should be "punished" for a rough stretch at the plate.
That's a real stance to take with a player carrying a .647 OPS at home and zero home runs there this season.
Schneider pointed to something specific behind the decision. No other hitter in this lineup is crushing the ball enough to justify taking over the three-hole.
That's a blunt admission about where Toronto's offense actually stands right now.
He went further, saying the entire lineup is built to "centre around Vlad," even during a stretch this bad.
Why sticking with Guerrero is a real gamble either way
There's a case for both sides here. Stability can matter for a struggling hitter trying to work through a slump without added pressure.
But there's also an argument that protecting a struggling bat in the middle of the order costs a team runs every single game it continues.
Toronto is fighting for a wild-card spot with very little room for lineup decisions that don't pay off.
Schneider clearly believes benching or dropping Guerrero would send the wrong message, both to him and to the rest of the clubhouse.
It's also a bet that the version of Guerrero from last October is still in there somewhere, waiting on the right moment to show back up.
Whether that faith gets rewarded before the season ends, or Schneider eventually has to reconsider, is the exact tension hanging over this lineup right now.
Do you agree with John Schneider keeping Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the middle of the order?
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