Pedro Guerrero was a “gift" from the Cleveland Indians, traded for pitcher Bruce Ellingsen before he ever saw a Major League pitch. A powerhouse from the Dominican Republic, he operated with a violent yet controlled swing that eventually led Bill James to label him "the best hitter God has made in a long time.”
After establishing himself as a professional mainstay in 1980, Guerrero reached a legendary plateau during the 1981 World Series. He dictated terms to the New York Yankees by belting two home runs and driving in seven runs, earning World Series Tri-MVP honors alongside Steve Yeager and Ron Cey.
The subsequent four seasons proved to be exceptional for Guerrero, as he recorded three seasons with thirty or more home runs. In 1982, he demonstrated comprehensive mastery of the game, earning a Silver Slugger Award and finishing third in the Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting after a distinguished season with 32 home runs and 100 runs batted in (RBIs). He reached a historic milestone in 1985, illustrating a season of extraordinary performance; he led the league in On-Base Percentage (.422), Slugging (.577), and On-base Plus Slugging (OPS) (.999), while hitting 33 home runs. During this peak, he earned four All-Star selections and consistently placed in the top five of the MVP voting.
Guerrero had an awful 1986, when a ruptured knee tendon in spring training cost him nearly the entire season. He reached a final summit of Dodger excellence in 1987, authoring a brilliant comeback by batting .338 with 27 home runs to win the UPI Comeback Player of the Year award. Despite his offensive skills, the organization looked to retool for a stretch run, and they traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for pitcher John Tudor.
Guerrero had 1,113 hits with Los Angeles, with 171 Home Runs and a batting average of .309.
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