Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s struggles have been well documented this season as the six-time All-Star sits at eight home runs with September underway, but after a big series against the Cleveland Guardians that helped Toronto take two of three, he’s adamant he can still help.
“We’re all human beings,” Guerrero told reporters after Thursday’s 6-3 matinee victory, through an interpreter. “There’s a lot of ups and downs, obviously, this year has not been my year, or the year I wanted. But I talk, always good communication, with the coaching staff and players.
“Basically just tell them ‘Hey, it’s not going my way right now, but stay with me. Stay with me. I’m going to continue to keep working hard and, at the end, I’ll be there for you guys.”
Guerrero went 4-for-10 with a home run, six runs batted in and a walk over the three-game set in Cleveland, with his towering home run in Wednesday’s blowout win helping ignite the offence early on.
That home run was Guerrero’s first in 15 games, as the prodigious slugger has been unable to produce the power numbers the team so desperately needs of him throughout this trying campaign.
Last season, Guerrero hit .292 with 23 home runs and an .848 on-base plus slugging percentage, finishing 13th in American League MVP voting. That performance helped the Blue Jays finish fourth in runs scored per game (4.93) in the league and win the AL East Division title at 94-68.
Guerrero went on to have one of the finest postseason performances in MLB history to help push the Blue Jays to Game 7 of the World Series, where they ultimately lost in extra innings. He smacked eight home runs, finished one behind teammate Ernie Clement for the most hits in a single postseason (29) and hit to an OPS of 1.289 across 18 games.
This year, Guerrero entered Thursday’s action hitting .262 with a career-worst .693 OPS and just 53 RBI. That performance has played a large part in the Blue Jays’ scoring woes this year as they rank second-worst in runs per game (4.01).
This season, Guerrero has an OPS of .940 in Blue Jays victories. In losses, that number drops to .439.
After winning this series against the Guardians (70-70), the Blue Jays move to just a half-game out of the final wild-card slot in the American League at 70-71.
Toronto’s superstar first baseman may be playing out the end of a lost season by his standards, but a few more performances like the ones he showcased in this series can still help the Blue Jays to a playoff berth.
