Blue Jays have concerning Vladimir Guerrero Jr. problem that impacts postseason hopes

The Toronto Blue Jays made last year's World Series thanks to clutch hitting from the lineup and superstar production from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 

Guerrero was named the 2025 ALCS MVP for a reason. 

But just three home runs in 66 games should be a cause for concern for both the first baseman and the Blue Jays. 

There's another reason for the Blue Jays to be concerned, writes ESPN's Bradford Doolittle. 

"The avatar for this is the franchise cornerstone, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., baseball's newest version of David Eckstein. Guerrero has a good average (.282), is walking as much as ever, and has cut his elite strikeout rate down another 3.2% from his career-best level in 2025," Doolittle wrote.

"But with a sub-.400 slugging average and drooping exit velocities, he's just not hitting the ball very hard very often," Doolittle added. "Unless this changes, it's hard to imagine the Blue Jays' idling season is going to take off in a way to justify an aggressive deadline." 

Guerrero's problem is one with no easy fix. As we know, hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports. Hitting a baseball hard complicates things much more, even for the best players in the world. 

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Toronto may be soft buyers at the deadline, maybe picking up a player or two for the bullpen and/or starting rotation. 

Of course, their plans could change in a heartbeat. A few good weeks or an extended winning streak could put the Jays right back in the AL East title conversation. 

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