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JUMP TO:
- Where is Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from?
- Did Vladimir Guerrero Jr. go to college?
- Was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drafted?
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. nationality
- What language does Vladimir Guerrero Jr. speak?
There aren't many players better equipped to handle the pressure of carrying an entire sporting nation than Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The Toronto Blue Jays supernova is one of the Dominican Republic's proudest sporting sons, continuing the tradition set by Juan Marichal, Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz and his father, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. And yet, Guerrero has also proven himself a Canadian icon, spearheading one of the country's most popular sides to heights they haven't often reached in recent years.
Guerrero, with his beaming smile, strong discipline and Paul Bunyan-like prowess with the bat in his shoulder, is one of MLB's best players. The fact that he has found success in Canada is apt — after all, he was born there.
With that, here's what you need to know about Guerrero's origins — including his hometown and nationalities.
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Where is Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from?
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was born in Montreal, the same city his father starred in.
From 1996-2003, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was the Montreal Expos' best player. He posted a .323/.390/.588 slash line while tallying 234 home runs. He nabbed four All-Star appearances and yielded MVP votes in six different seasons. Guerrero Jr. was born in the heart of his father's Expos' prime. He is a Canadian citizen.
As a child, Guerrero Jr. was given a front row look at what it took to be a major league player. Few sites proved as pivotal to shaping his prowess on the diamond than Montreal's Olympic Stadium, where he watched his father and his father's teammates up close. Cameras caught him receiving a standing ovation from the Olympic Stadium faithful in Montreal's final home game at Olympic Stadium.
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FLASHBACK: Three-year-old Vladimir Guerrero Jr. warms up with his dad and rest of the Expos before a game at Olympic Stadium in 2002. pic.twitter.com/eH0Z75vP93
— Montreal Expos (@Montreal_Expos) October 13, 2025Vladimir Guerrero Jr. deserves a hug pic.twitter.com/HmzO0wZRyQ
— Montreal Expos (@Montreal_Expos) February 19, 2025Guerrero Jr.'s parents split up during his youngest years. As such, he and his mother, Riquelma Ramos, moved to Santiago, the Dominican Republic's second-largest city. He would cycle between Santiago, Don Gregorio (a town located in Nizao County, Dominican Republic that his uncle lived in) and the United States. Guerrero is Canadian-Dominican, meaning he has citizenship in both Canada and the Dominican Republic. He has already committed to representing the Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
"I was born in Canada, but I grew up in the Dominican Republic. My dad never went to a World Baseball Classic," Guerrero Jr. told The Score in June 2025. "He told me as a kid that I should represent the Dominican if I ever got a chance to do it. I grew up with that. So, I think I will play with the Dominicans, but maybe if I’m not retired, I will play with Canada one day.”
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Did Vladimir Guerrero Jr. go to college?
Guerrero Jr. did not attend college. Instead, he entered the international signing pool as a 16-year old, commanding impressive offers as MLB.com's fourth-ranked international prospect. In July 2015, Guerrero signed with the Blue Jays for $3.9 million. He was summarily assigned to Rookie-A ball in 2016, setting the stage for a wondrous minor league career.
Guerrero Jr. breezed through Toronto's farm system, climbing to the top spot in MLB's prospect rankings ahead of the 2019 season. He made his big-league debut on April 26, 2019.
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Was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drafted?
Guerrero Jr. was not selected in the MLB Draft. He landed with the Blue Jays in the international signing period — a one-month stretch where MLB sides are allowed to offer contracts to teenagers born overseas, oftentimes Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Cuba.
Guerrero Jr.'s $3.9 million signing fee represented a hefty investment from Toronto's front office brass. He has repaid that faith in a major way in the years since, collecting five-straight All-Star berths and two top-six MVP finishes.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. nationality
Born in Canada, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. holds Canadian citizenship. Having been born to two Dominican parents and largely raised in the Dominican Republic, Guerrero Jr. also owns Dominican citizenship. While he flirted with representing Canada in international competition, he plans of playing for the Dominican Republic when the opportunity presents itself.
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What language does Vladimir Guerrero Jr. speak?
Vladimir Gurrero Jr. is a native Spanish speaker. He has tended to use an interpreter during press conferences — perhaps a response to the frenetic nature of pre- and postgame media scrums. But he has grown confident in his English, familiarizing himself with the language via conversations with his daughter.
“It’s hard, but my daughter has helped me a lot,” Guerrero Jr. told MLB.com in March 2025. “I only speak with her in English, so that’s why I’m getting better.”
Guerrero Jr. still uses an interpreter during pressers. But he has made an effort to handle one-on-one interviews in English. He also uses the language around the locker room — all part of his push to become Toronto's foremost leader as it attempts to climb up MLB's totem pole.
“I want to be more vocal. If you need me, I’m going to be right over there,” Guerrero Jr. said. “In the past, I didn’t like it because I didn’t like somebody laughing about my English, but now I can speak more English and I feel more comfortable speaking. It’s way better. I can communicate with everybody.”
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