The future could come sooner than later for Toronto Blue Jays top prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Ben Cherington, the team's vice-president of baseball operations, wouldn't rule out the 18-year-old slugger joining the Jays at some point in 2018, noting that Guerrero controls his own fate.

“I hate to put a ceiling on anybody," Cherington told Postmedia's Rob Longley. "I wouldn’t want to to govern what he can be. We just need to be thoughtful about what are the skills and experiences that give him the best chance to have the longest most successful career possible and can we help him do that while he’s still in the minor leagues. What that means at the end of 2018, I don’t know. He’ll end up making that decision for us.”

Born in Montreal, Guerrero split last season between the Jays' low A-ball affiliate, Lansing Lugnuts, and its high A-ball affiliate, Dunedin Blue Jays.

In the second half of the season in Florida, Guerrero hit .333 with six home runs and 31 runs batted in and an OPS of .944 through 48 games.

Guerrero is ranked as Baseball America's No. 2 prospect in baseball, behind Yoan Moncada of the Chicago White Sox.