Major League Baseball

MLB Weekly Roundup: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is hot and getting hotter

Updated Jun. 7, 2021 11:38 a.m. ET

By Ben Verlander
FOX Sports MLB Analyst

The thing that makes me the most excited about baseball at this point of the MLB season? The home run leaderboard.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Ronald Acuña Jr., Shohei Ohtani, Adolis Garcia.

That's one of the most exciting groups of guys I can recall seeing atop the leaderboard. Baseball is in great hands, and I get excited to tune in every night and see what is going to happen next.

Let’s take a look back at the week that was in Major League Baseball and preview some storylines of the week to come.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

This past week featured the first "Lou Gehrig Day" across MLB on June 2. Of course, when you think of Lou Gehrig, aside from thinking about the incredible baseball player he was, you think about his famous speech that took place at home plate at Yankee Stadium in 1939.

This week, on Lou Gehrig Day, the Yankees played the speech on the board in center field and captured an incredible picture from behind home plate showing the MLB icon's face on the video screen.

SIX-TOOL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is on an absolute tear this season, and he didn’t slow down this week. He is hitting .333 and leading the league in homers, and we can see the third-year player's confidence skyrocketing. This week, he recorded the fifth triple of his career, and he dove into third base with a huge smile on his face, pumping up his Blue Jays team.

When you think Vladdy, you don’t necessarily think speed. However, this week on an infield single, Guerrero reached a sprint speed of 29.0 feet per second, which is outstanding. He shed some weight this year, and the results are showing. He has become one of the league's most exciting players to watch.

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TEAM OF THE WEEK

The Giants just keep on rolling and proving everyone wrong. They haven’t lost a series since the middle of May and have beaten some great teams in their most recent stretch of games, taking three out of four against the Dodgers in Los Angeles and three out of four against the first-place Cubs over the weekend.

The Giants might not have a star-studded roster like some of the teams in their division, but this squad is getting the job done on both sides of the field. San Francisco is for real and here to stay in the NL West.

WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

1. Cubs at Padres

This year’s Cubs team has surprised some people, as the North Siders find themselves at the top of the NL Central. They travel to San Diego this week to face the Padres, which promises to be a great matchup with exciting players on both sides. I’ll be locked into that series this week.

2. Jacob deGrom

At this point, deGrom is must-watch TV every time he takes the mound. This week, he is slated to get the nod Friday night against the Padres. Jacob deGrom, Fernando Tatis Jr, Friday night … get your popcorn ready.

3. Cubs-Cardinals

That’s right: We have two huge matchups for the first-place Cubs this week. After a tough battle in San Diego, they head back home for a weekend clash with their rivals. Entering this week, the Cubs and Cardinals are tied for first in their division, and this rivalry has some added fuel this season, with both teams in contention.

THIS WEEK ON THE POD

I'm very excited for this week's episode with Dodgers stud starting pitcher Walker Buehler. We talk about his years at Vanderbilt and how they prepared him for the big leagues, his UFC fandom, which Dodger would make the best UFC fighter, pitching in a World Series and so much more! Check it out.

Here’s to another exciting week of Major League Baseball.

Ben Verlander is an MLB Analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the "Flippin' Bats" podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Old Dominion University before he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. He spent five years in the Tigers organization. Follow him on Twitter @Verly32.