MLB Fantasy Alert: Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to Start at 3B for 1st Time Since 2019

When the Toronto Blue Jays revealed their lineup for Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, there was one change that immediately jumped out.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is starting at third base.

As Sportsnet noted, Sunday will be his first start at the position since the 2019 season and his first time playing third base at all since the 2022 campaign. He at least has some experience at the hot corner and actually came through the minors playing third base before shifting to first base in 2020.

Toronto clearly made such a move with offense in mind, as Sportsnet called it the team's "most offense-oriented lineup of the season," while Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet pointed out it means there is "an extra bat" in the lineup.

Justin Turner and Daniel Vogelbach are both playing as a result, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa—who often plays third base—shifted to second base for the series finale.

While Nicholson-Smith noted Guerrero frequently takes practice grounders at third base, the Blue Jays still might be sacrificing some defense with this move.

According to FanGraphs, Guerrero is responsible for minus-two defensive runs saved above average at first base this season after he posted a minus-six in the same category last year. He was also responsible for minus-three defensive runs saved above average during 824.1 innings of third base in 2019.

But fantasy baseball players don't worry as much about defense, and this could open up more positional versatility for Guerrero moving forward if the Blue Jays continue to work him in at third base.

That would make one of the game's most dangerous hitters all the more valuable in fantasy circles as he looks to provide more power as the season progresses.

Guerrero is slashing .292/.390/.406 with five home runs and 25 RBI this season. He is coming off three consecutive All-Star appearances and three straight years of at least 26 home runs, including when he led the league with 48 in 2021.

More power would surely help the Blue Jays in their ongoing efforts to turn things around with wins in four of their last five games after a disappointing 23-29 start.

So would passable defense at third base, which would give manager John Schneider more options when filling out his lineup card.