Guardians' Franmil Reyes receives hitting advice from Vladimir Guerrero Sr. and David Ortiz

Cleveland Guardians slugger and designated hitter Franmil Reyes has begun the regular season nearly as cold as the Northeast Ohio weather has been for much of the spring. According to ESPN stats, Reyes began Thursday evening with a league-worst 39 strikeouts, while batting a dreadful .157 with just two home runs and seven RBI. 

Fortunately for Reyes, he's been able to receive some pointers from a couple of Hall-of-Fame acquaintances. 

Per Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com, Reyes explained that he recently received a call from Vladimir Guerrero Sr., while beloved Boston Red Sox figure David Ortiz reached out to Cleveland assistant hitting coach Victor Rodriguez. Rodriguez and Ortiz previously spent time together with the Red Sox. 

"I received a call from Vladimir Guerrero and David Ortiz talked to Victor," Reyes remarked. "Ortiz didn’t talk to Victor about anything mechanically. He just wanted to remind me about who I am and what I’ve done.

"People like Ortiz, Vladdy Guerrero Sr. and the coaches here, I let them talk to me because they know me. They know the things I have to do to get better. But my family? What can my mom tell me about this game? She always gives me support, but not talking to me about this game. She says, 'Papi, you got this. You’re the best.' For our mom we’re always the best.

"But my friends know exactly who I am. I always tell them in the offseason, 'Don’t talk to me about baseball. This is the offseason. Baseball is over.'"

To compare, Reyes ended the 2021 season with a .254 average, an .846 OPS, 30 home runs, 18 doubles and 85 RBI that he tallied across only 115 games. The 11-13 Guardians will need the 26-year-old to find a similar version of himself and soon if they are to make any noise in the American League Central this summer.