Blue Jays: What a good season looks like for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in 2026

Since his debut in 2019, he has given his fans mixed results. Some seasons are disappointing (see 2020 and 2023), some are All-Star caliber (see 2022, 2024 and 2025), and then there’s his near-MVP 2021 campaign that’s in a league of its own.

The regular season numbers were quickly overshadowed by what he accomplished during Toronto’s run to the World Series. He posted a stellar .397/.494/.795 slash line in 18 playoff games, including 8 home runs (a franchise record for postseason home runs), 15 RBIs and just seven strikeouts. It was truly special to see him emerge in the playoffs, and it added more face-of-the-franchise to his career palette.

Now that this past season is behind us, it’s time to look at the 2026 season for Guerrero. Let’s take a look at what needs to be carried over, and some of the areas that, if Guerrero were to take a step forward, would make his ’26 campaign a success.

The first quality of Guerrero’s game that I want to point out is one of his best. Say what you will about him, but don’t doubt his durability. Since his first full season in the major leagues in 2021, he has played at least 156 games every year and has not once managed to land on the injured list. In some cases, availability is the best option. He is one of the most exciting players in the game, and the organization and fans are spoiled by having his name written on the lineup card almost every night.

It’s not as easy as it sounds, but Guerrero would carry all of this into next season.

As for where Guerrero can take a step forward, I think Guerrero can be more of a catalyst while the team is in a slump. I’m thinking of two specific types of games; one of which was the Blue Jays losing five of six to the Astros and Yankees in late April. The Blue Jays were outscored 33-9 and managed just 31 goals in those games. During that same stretch, Guerrero recorded three hits in 21 at-bats with one extra base hit.

In mid-September, as the American League East race heated up, the Blue Jays suffered a 1-6 streak in games against the Rays, Royals and Red Sox. Toronto was outscored 44-13 and generated 34 hits in those games, and they saw their AL East lead shrink to just a tiebreaker over the Yankees. Guerrero had just four hits in 26 at-bats with one extra base hit in those seven games.

Guerrero also had several series last year where his performances against playoff-worthy opponents left much to be desired. He went 3-for-23 in six games against the Phillies, 2-for-13 in three games against the Padres, 1-for-11 against the Brewers, 4-for-23 in six games against the Royals, and he hit just .229 in 13 games against the Rays. Again, slumps are part of the game, but when the stakes are highest, Guerrero has the highest expectations.

Between 2024 and 2025, Guerrero had 28 fewer extra-base hits, which coincided with a 77-point drop in slugging and a nearly 100-point drop in OPS. I’m sure the organization would like to see these numbers jump to ’24 levels, and I’m not even just talking about home runs, although they would be welcome.

I think we all know what Guerrero is capable of, and as I said before, to whom much is given, much is also expected.