Vlad Jr. down 32 lbs. since start of season

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is ... in great shape? According to the Dominican newspaper elCaribe, it's true. There's even photo evidence.

It was evident during the 2020 season that Guerrero had put on some weight, but he told elCaribe he's already 32 pounds lighter compared to when he reported to Summer Camp, down to around 250 pounds. He shared that he felt the positive effects of refocusing on fitness during the season, and has slimmed down more since then.

"I finished the season more or less and put that in mind. I started with the slow swing and when I lost 20 pounds I started feeling better," Guerrero Jr. said.

Guerrero also said he regrets that he didn't show up to Summer Camp following the COVID-19 delay in better shape, and he has apologized to his teammates for not being as prepared as possible for the season.

"I learned after these months of the coronavirus that if you don't work hard, you can't be in the Major Leagues," he said. "Why do [Fernando] Tatis and [Juan] Soto put up good numbers? Because they work hard. I got the hits I got because of the ability that God gave me. But I knew it from the beginning. I know I did it wrong."

Guerrero said he is now eating differently, cutting out fatty foods and ingesting nothing but water after 7 p.m. He is also reportedly working out at the Blue Jays' Spring Training facility where he's hitting, taking ground balls and doing weight training.

The 21-year-old slugger, who is the son of Hall of Fame outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, made his highly anticipated Major League debut in 2019 and has shown his incredible raw power at the plate. But overall, his offensive performance has been somewhat underwhelming, compared to the hype that surrounded his promotion to the big leagues. So far, he has hit .269/.336/.442 with 24 home runs in 183 Major League games.

It's too soon to know if Guerrero's physical transformation continues to translate into better production on the field in 2021. But it's certainly remarkable that he has already shed so much weight and appears to be singularly focused on showing up to Spring Training far more prepared than he was for the 2020 campaign.

"I did not get to the second training well," Guerrero told elCaribe. "And I told myself that this cannot happen again."