Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is already making waves as one of baseball's elite, but it seems the Toronto Blue Jays' powerhouse may just be getting started.
After a regular season that didn't quite meet expectations, Guerrero turned heads in the postseason with a jaw-dropping .397 average, eight homers, and 15 RBIs. This was a stark contrast to his 23 home runs during the regular season.
The secret to his postseason surge? A straightforward yet impactful adjustment suggested by Blue Jays hitting coach David Popkins.
Guerrero shifted his focus from hitting to the opposite field to seeking out damage at the plate.
"In the playoffs, every time I stepped up, I was looking to do damage," Guerrero shared on MLB Network. "During the season, I tried to take the ball the other way. Now, [Popkins] said, let's go up there and do damage."
Throughout his career, Guerrero has honed his skill as an opposite-field hitter, a valuable asset against defensive shifts. However, this approach can be more challenging than simply aiming to make solid contact. While Guerrero won't abandon opposite-field hitting, the emphasis has shifted, allowing him more freedom to focus on power.
"In [the playoffs], I knew they'd pitch around me, so I waited for them to come into the zone. When they did, I was ready to rake."
With Bo Bichette's departure and Anthony Santander's injury, the Blue Jays will rely heavily on Guerrero to lead the charge in 2026.
His comments suggest a promising season ahead, possibly even putting him in the AL MVP conversation. But Guerrero's eyes are set on a bigger prize: bringing a championship to Toronto.
"To win, you have to lose first," Guerrero reflected. "That thought stayed with me.
It's part of the plan. We weren't where we wanted to be, but we have to keep pushing and playing hard to win it all again."