Blue Jays first baseman may be one of the defining players of 2026

"As the marathon 2025 regular season wound down, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was in desperate need of a jolt. Starting with the Toronto Blue Jays playing the New York Yankees in early September, the Blue Jays slugger simply wasn't playing like his ordinary self. Guerrero Jr. batted .213/.273/.230 with zero home runs and a paltry 40 wRC+ over his final 16 regular season games. His production wasn't carrying the Blue Jays to the AL East division title that they won over the Yankees."

"The story of the Blue Jays season was Guerrero Jr. turning things around and his final numbers looking pretty decent. He posted an elite .397/.494/.795 slash line through 18 playoff games, including setting a franchise record with eight postseason home runs. The good news is that fans should expect more of this going forward. Blue Jays' first baseman may be one of the defining players of 2026"

"Seeing him put the team on his back was pretty special. There is a lot of pressure to perform in baseball when making a ton of money. Thankfully, Guerrero Jr. is showing no signs of caving to that pressure. The Blue Jays didn't need to win a free agency bidding war for this guy, signing him to a 14-year, $500 million contract that is only just beginning."

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. struggled late in the 2025 regular season, hitting .213/.273/.230 with zero home runs and a 40 wRC+ across his final 16 games. He rebounded in the playoffs, producing a .397/.494/.795 slash line over 18 games and setting a franchise record with eight postseason home runs. Guerrero Jr. remains under a 14-year, $500 million contract that has only just begun. He showed resilience under financial and performance pressure and appears unlikely to falter. At 26 years old, Guerrero Jr. projects to be a central offensive and emotional leader and a potential defining player for 2026.

Read at Jays Journal