Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s slump at the dish has lasted one quarter of the 2026 MLB season and questions are growing louder about the lack of power production from the Toronto Blue Jays superstar.
Through 41 games, the 27-year-old first baseman has hit only two home runs, with his most recent coming on April 20 against the Los Angeles Angels. Guerrero is tied with Ernie Clement, Myles Straw, and George Springer (who has missed 18 games due to injury) for sixth on the team’s homer list.
Guerrero is getting on base at a good clip, as his average sits at .300 to go along with a .386 on-base percentage. However, his .773 slugging percentage is his lowest mark since the .772 he posted in his rookie season in 2019. Guerrero’s 45 hits are second on the team, but he has only produced nine extra-base hits and, entering Tuesday, has gone 50 consecutive plate appearances without an extra-base hit.
MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson says the noise around Guerrero’s struggles would be much louder if not for Kazuma Okamoto’s team-leading 10 home runs sparking the Blue Jays’ offence.
“This is not the version of Vladdy that the Blue Jays need. If the rest of the Blue Jays were hitting [like] crazy right now, sure, get on base at a 400 clip, you’re hitting 305. That can work, but not when you need to be the star of the show,” Matheson said on TSN Overdrive. “ If not for Okamoto, we are only talking about Vladdy right now. And the Blue Jays would be in a much worse situation.
“He’s been their MVP, but that’s covered up the complete lack of power from Vladdy.”
After a middling power season in 2025 (23 homers, .467 slugging percentage), it appeared Guerrero had turned a corner in the postseason, as he mashed eight homers with a 1.289 OPS as he led the Blue Jays to Game 7 of the World Series.
The postseason success has not translated to 2026, as Guerrero is experiencing the worst power season of his career.
His average exit velocity has dipped to 90.7 MPH, down from 92 MPH last season, the only two seasons in his career that he was not in the top 10 per cent in MLB. Guerrero’s hard-hit percentage (defined as a ball hit over 95 MPH) is down to 44.1 per cent, down from 50.7 per cent last season.
“He’s not turning on pitches. He is not unleashing with that big swing. And part of that is approach, part of that is mechanical tinkering,” Matheson said. “You’re just not seeing him play that loose, natural brand of baseball right now. And until he does that, the Blue Jays won’t go anywhere. They can play .500 baseball without it, sure. They’re not going to go on a streak until Vladdy decides it’s time.”
The Blue Jays (18-23) will continue their series with the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays tonight at home, following Monday’s 8-5 loss. Guerrero is still searching for his first homer of the year at Rogers Centre as the Jays try to close the gap on the Rays (27-13), who lead the Jays by 9.5 games in the division.
Patrick Corbin (1-1, 3.60 ERA) will get the start for the Blue Jays against Rays’ ace Shane McClanahan (4-2, 2.60 ERA).
