Vlad Jr. has two key men in his corner

Before Hector Lebron first got a chance to speak to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., it was the sound of the young slugger’s bat that caught his attention.

It was at Spring Training this year, and Guerrero was taking batting practice ahead of meeting the man who would become the interpreter for the Blue Jays -- most prevalently for the 20-year-old rookie -- for the season. It didn’t take Lebron long to understand that he was going to be working with a special young player.

• T-Mobile Home Run Derby: Tonight, 8 p.m. ET on RSN

“I wasn’t even looking at him,” Lebron said. “Just the sound of the bat made me turn. It’s unbelievable. … He’s very talented. He’s going to be something. He’s going to do well for many years. Even though he’s not at his highest level yet and he’s [been] struggling, he’s still hitting .250. That’s amazing. But he doesn’t see that, because he knows he can perform even better.”

Toronto’s Major League coach, John Schneider, has certainly seen Guerrero perform better throughout the duo’s time together.

The 39-year-old former catcher joined the big league staff this offseason, after managing Guerrero the past two seasons with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats and the Class A Advanced Dunedin Blue Jays. The pair won championships at both levels, the rookie infielder inspiring a lot of memorable moments for Schneider along the way.

“His debut here stands out, which was cool, getting the hit to lead to the win that night,” Schneider said. “He had a two-homer game last year in New Hampshire and he hit the ball off the hotel, which is really far in left center. Hitting a homer on a 3-0 changeup off a righty to dead center last year.

“Watching him hit a 120-mph single in Harrisburg off his bat. You watch things like that and you think, all right, that’s pretty cool. There’s been a handful of them. His first Major League homer in San Fran was cool, so it’s been cool to watch.”

While Guerrero’s highlight-reel moments have been cool for everyone to take in, there’s been a level of pressure that has followed the hype around him along the way, and the man who spends the most time with him at the field has been impressed with the way he’s handled it.

“He’s a franchise player,” Lebron said. “Everyone, the team, the organization, the media, the fans, the teammates, fans back home, everyone has all eyes on him. That’s a lot of pressure, and he’s only 20 years old.

“He’s struggled a bit, so everybody starts asking what’s going on, but he’s able to stay focused. He takes it day by day, and that’s one of the things I admire about him. … He’s handled it very well.”

Despite the ups and downs Guerrero has already faced this season, Schneider believes there have been plenty of points of progress, but the most impressive included his ability to make adjustments in the Eastern League -- which he believes the third baseman will do again -- and the evolution of his power.

“He’s going through it right now where people are pitching him differently here than they did in the Minor Leagues,” Schneider said. “Watching him make adjustments is the biggest thing you look at for a young player. Watching him do it pitch by pitch and at-bat by at-bat last year was a different level than what you’re used to seeing in the Minor Leagues.

“When I think about him, I think about how hard he hits the ball really, too, and that’s gone up every year as he gets older and he gets stronger. That, and watching the hard-hit balls turn into home runs last year was cool.”

This season, that power translated into an invitation to participate in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, where Guerrero will be the youngest slugger ever to take part. Schneider and Lebron will both be accompanying him to Progressive Field, where Lebron will be alongside him for all of his interpreting needs and Schneider will throw to him during the event.

“I’m very excited, because with all the time I’ve spent with him, I want to see him succeed,” Lebron said. “I hope he wins. Anything can happen, but I really hope he wins. It’s going to be a great experience for him. For me as well, because I get to be there up close [and] I’m very thankful just being there with him.”

Added Schneider: “It’s humbling that he asked me. It’s something we joked about a few years ago in the Minor Leagues, and I’ve been throwing to him the last couple of years, so he’s used to me. He’s hit plenty of homers off me in [batting practice] so it’s cool for me to do, and experience a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and hopefully he wins the whole thing and has a blast doing it.”