Guerrero Powers Up in a Hurry

Vladimir Guerrero stepped into the batter’s box on his first day as an Angel ... and promptly put on a display worthy of Mario Mendoza.

There were foul pop-ups. A couple of grounders. A weak line drive.

Then, toward the end of Guerrero’s second turn in batting practice, came the eye-popping power surge. It started with a home run to left field, followed by a towering shot over the hedges beyond the left-field wall and another blast to left-center.

Guerrero wasn’t the only Angel to show some pop Wednesday at Tempe Diablo Stadium as the team completed its first full-squad workout.

Fellow free-agent acquisition Jose Guillen slammed one pitch over the 420-foot sign in center field. Garret Anderson, as usual, drilled more than his share of homers. Even reserve catcher Jose Molina, about 20 pounds lighter after working this winter with a nutritionist and personal trainer in his native Puerto Rico, got into the act.

“There’s a lot of heavy hitters around here,” utility man Chone Figgins said.

Even as Manager Mike Scioscia welcomed Guerrero, one of the most dynamic hitters in the game, he stressed that his team’s chances of winning a second World Series title in three years hinged just as heavily on its core of returning players.

“Vlad is a special player, and he’s coming into a situation with other special players,” Scioscia said. “We feel we have a terrific blend of talent. It’s going to take more than one person for us to reach our goal, and I don’t think anyone is looking at Vladimir as the guy who is going to put us on his back and carry us.”

Guerrero and Guillen join an already potent lineup that includes Anderson, 2002 World Series most valuable player Troy Glaus and designated hitter Tim Salmon. Guerrero said he looked forward to hitting in front of cleanup batter Anderson, who has averaged 30 homers and 120 runs batted in over the last four seasons, after spending the first eight years of his career in the talent void that is Montreal.

“I feel I’m going to get a lot better pitches,” Guerrero said through an interpreter. “In Montreal, I didn’t have somebody the caliber of Garret.”

Guerrero said his lower back, which caused him to sit out more than a month last season after he was diagnosed with a herniated disk, felt good and he experienced no tightness in his legs, which had been bothering him earlier this winter.

The Angels may also have to keep an eye on Guerrero’s free-swinging approach, which has led the career .323 hitter to generate more strikeouts (484) than walks (381). Yet, Scioscia cited the right fielder’s career .390 on-base percentage as proof of his discipline at the plate.

“You can’t take his aggressiveness away,” Scioscia said. “He hits a lot of bad balls, and he also hits a lot of good balls. You have to go deeper ... there is some selection. He is disciplined, and the number of walks he gets makes him a force.”

Guerrero said the team’s handful of players from his native Dominican Republic and the graciousness of Spanish-speaking owner Arte Moreno had eased his transition.

“It’s just the first day,” Guerrero said. “I’m going to need more time to get to know everybody.”

His new teammates are already familiar with the legend if not the man.

“Having someone that’s one of the best in the game and still getting better is unbelievable,” shortstop David Eckstein said. “It’s exciting.”

Said Molina: “He’s just an amazing player you want to have on your team. I’m glad he’s on our side this year.”

*

Outfielder Jeff DaVanon is expected to join the team today after his wife gave birth Wednesday in Arizona.*

Times staff writer Mike DiGiovanna contributed to this report.