Vladimir Guerrero Alvino Sr. (born February 9, 1975), nicknamed “Vlad the Impaler“, is a Dominican former professional baseball player who spent 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right fielder and designated hitter. He played for the Montreal Expos (1996–2003), Anaheim Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2004–2009), Texas Rangers (2010), and Baltimore Orioles (2011).
A nine-time All-Star, Guerrero was widely recognized for his impressive offensive production — regularly hitting for power and average — as well as his defensive range and strong throwing arm. In 2004, he was voted the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP). Guerrero helped lead the Angels to five AL West championships between 2004 and 2009 and was voted one of the most feared hitters in baseball in a 2008 poll of all 30 major league managers.
Regarded as the game’s premier “bad-ball hitter”, Guerrero consistently hit balls thrown well outside the strike zone, a skill evident on August 14, 2009, when he hit a pitch after it bounced in front of home plate. With his aggressive batting style, he hit more than 30 home runs (HR) in each of 8 seasons and surpassed 100 runs batted in (RBI) 10 times, though he had just 2 seasons with at least 65 walks. In the first pitch of an at-bat, Guerrero hit 126 home runs and put 1,780 balls in play.
On September 26, 2011, Guerrero surpassed Julio Franco as the all-time MLB leader for hits by a Dominican player, a record since broken by Adrián Beltré in 2014. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. In 2021, Guerrero and his son became the second father-son duo in MLB history to each have a 40-home run season in their careers, joining Cecil and Prince Fielder.
What is Vladimir Guerrero’s Net Worth?
Vladimir Guerrero is a Dominican former professional baseball player who spent 16 seasons in the MLB and has a net worth of $50 million. A nine-time All Star, Vladimir Guerrero was widely recognized as one of the best all-around players in the league.
Early life and career
Guerrero was raised in Don Gregorio, Dominican Republic, in a house made of mud and brick and a palm-leaf roof. Guerrero’s mother, Altagracia, made money selling food on the street until Hurricane David ravaged the country in 1979. After the hurricane, his mother traveled between the Dominican Republic and Venezuela in order to find work, while Guerrero and his siblings were in the care of a great aunt
One of nine children, Guerrero is the younger brother of ex-major leaguer Wilton Guerrero of the Montreal Expos, where the two were teammates for several seasons. Guerrero and his brothers played baseball using makeshift gloves assembled from milk cartons and socks filled with plastic bags as baseballs. Guerrero did not own a real baseball glove until he was 15 years old, when he received one from his older brother, a minor leaguer. Guerrero’s brothers, Eleazar and Julio Cesar, played in the farm systems of the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers, respectively.[9] Guerrero is also the cousin of minor leaguers Armando Guerrero and Cristian Guerrero, and the uncle of major leaguer Gabriel Guerrero.
As a teenager, Guerrero worked out for the Dodgers at their baseball complex in the Dominican Republic but he was ultimately sent home after eight months without a contract. In 1993, scout Arturo DeFreites convinced the Montreal Expos to sign Guerrero for $2,100 (equivalent to $4,300 in 2022). During the process he lied about his age, claiming to be born February 9, 1976. It was not until March 2009 that he inadvertently revealed to Major League Baseball that he was born in 1975.
MLB Career
Vladimir Guerrero was signed by the Montreal Expos as an amateur free agent in 1993 and eventually made his major league debut in 1996. He was criticized during his first season in 1997 for being too aggressive at the plate, and he led all major league outfielders in errors in 1997. In 1998, Guerrero’s superior hand-eye coordination helped him to change things around in his career; although still aggressive at the plate, he had consistently high batting averages year after year. He continued to improve through 2003 until a back injury shortened his season.
After his injury, Guerrero was a free agent for the first time in his career, but was courted by several teams and eventually signed with the Anaheim Angels. He helped the Angels to five first place finishes in six years with an average of 32 homers a year for the first five years until injuries limited him to all career lows in 2009, and he became a full-time designated hitter. In 2010, during his designated hitting year, he signed a one-year deal with the Rangers and helped them reach the 2010 World Series. After a less impressive season as a designated hitter with the Orioles in 2011, Guerrero was unable to find a major league deal he liked. He eventually signed with the Blue Jays but ultimately opted out of his contract within the season. He struggled a bit trying to re-enter the game, and due to family issues, and two operations on his right knee, Guerrero eventually announced his retirement in 2013.
Guerrero was a nine-time All-Star, eight-time Silver Slugger Award winner, the 2004 AL MVP, and is enshrined in the Angels Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.
He finished his career with a .318 batting average to go along with 449 home runs, 2,590 hits, and 1,496 runs batted in.
Contracts & Career Earnings
Vladimir Guerrero first signed with the Montreal Expos for $2,100 in 1993. In 1999, he signed a five-year, $28 million contract with the team. And in 2004, Guerrero signed a five-year, $70 million deal with the Anaheim Angels.
Personal Life
Vladimir’s son, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., was born in 1999 during Sr.’s time with the Expos. Vladimir Jr. signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in July of 2015 and made his big league debut in April of 2019. Another son, Pablo, signed with the Texas Rangers as an international free agent in January of 2023.
In 2012, a paternity suit revealed that Guerrero has eight children with five different women and owes $25,621 a month in child support.
Vladimir Guerrero Earnings
- Baltimore Orioles (2010-11)$7.6 Million
- Texas Rangers (2009-10)$5.5 Million
- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2008-09)$15 Million
- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2007-08)$15.5 Million
- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2006-07)$14.5 Million
- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2005-06)$13.5 Million
- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2004-05)$12.5 Million
- Anaheim Angels (2003-04)$11 Million
- Montreal Expos (2002-03)$11.5 Million
- Montreal Expos (2001-02)$8 Million
- Montreal Expos (2000-01)$6 Million
- Montreal Expos (1999-00)$3.5 Million
- Montreal Expos (1998-99)$1.1 Million
- Montreal Expos (1997-98)$230 Thousand
- Montreal Expos (1996-97)$150 Thousand
- Total Earnings$125.5 Million
