Nothing has been more baffling in MLB this year than the struggles of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The Toronto Blue Jays have tried everything to get their superstar first baseman going at the plate, yet it’s been more of the same maddening results: a lack of power, and especially at the Rogers Centre.
Everyone in baseball has been trying to figure out just what’s going on with Guerrero Jr., and on Tuesday, Canadian baseball legend and former NL MVP Joey Votto had some interesting thoughts on the ordeal.
“All I was really trying to point out was there’s something going on technically, obviously, if the balls aren’t going over the fence, clearly it’s showing up. My question is, is there some sort of hangover from the World Series? And the other thing I wanna say is from (ages) 26-27, in my experience, my bat slowed, and I’m wondering if technically Vladdy has the ability to adjust and simplify his swing because he’s been handed this till 40 years old contract… Year one of a 14-year contract, he has to perform better, and I know that he knows that,”
The 27-year-old Guerrero Jr. is, as mentioned, in year one of the 14-year, $500 million mega-contract he signed with the Blue Jays in April 2025. He’s hitting .263 with just seven HRs and 46 RBI across 115 games played so far this season.
Guerrero Jr. was finding a bit of a groove offensively before going on the concussion IL, so perhaps after taking some time to rest and recover, he’ll return feeling better about himself and ready to make an impact.
Toronto might not even need it to claim the final wild-card spot in the AL, but they certainly will if they hope to do any damage should they make the postseason.
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