The Blue Jays are hanging around the postseason picture because the American League has opened the door just enough. And with the final stretch of the season here, Toronto still has a shot to sneak in.
That makes Vladimir Guerrero Jr. a central figure again.
It has been a rough year for the star first baseman, and by the numbers, this has been the least productive season of his career so far. Injuries have been part of the story, but so has the simple fact that Guerrero has not delivered the kind of steady production Toronto usually counts on.
Still, the Blue Jays have kept winning in other ways. Now, with the calendar turning into the last few weeks of the regular season, they need Guerrero to be part of the push.
He gave them exactly that in the second game of the series against Cleveland on Sept. 2.
Toronto was fighting for position in the wild-card race, and Guerrero delivered what may have been his best outing of the season. He went 3 for 4 with a home run, a double and five RBI, and he also picked up his 1200th career hit.
It was his first five-RBI game since June 29, 2024.
THERE GOES VLADDY 💥 #PLAKATA pic.twitter.com/wCi1suUsDg
That explosion powered an 11-0 Blue Jays win. Toronto then carried that momentum into the next game and wrapped up the series with a 6-3 victory on Thursday.
Even with that outburst, Guerrero’s season line still looks nothing like what anyone expected. He is hitting .260 with a .689 OPS in 126 games, and he has only eight home runs, all of them on the road, plus 54 RBI. The OPS is the lowest of his career by a wide margin.
August was especially tough. In 19 games that month, Guerrero posted a .558 OPS and drove in only four runs.
That’s why September matters so much now. Toronto has seven series left, and if Guerrero can keep producing, especially with his power, the offense has a chance to become far more reliable. He already has six RBI in three games this month.
A big game like the one he had against Cleveland can do more than fill up a box score. It can change the tone around a player’s season, and the Blue Jays are hoping this is the start of a much better September for Guerrero Jr.
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Anthony Santander is the most interesting name in the mix right now. He has moved to hitting off live pitching and could begin a rehab assignment in Triple-A Buffalo next week, which would be a meaningful step in his comeback. The bigger question is whether there is still enough runway left for him to help the Blue Jays at the major league level this season, and that uncertainty makes his progress worth following closely. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Fans Are Dragging The Team Over An Authenticity Debate
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The dispute has only grown louder because a community note and an AI expert both pointed to signs that the clip may have been generated with AI tools. The Blue Jays have been contacted for further comment, leaving the episode hanging over a fan base that is already looking closely at how the team presents itself online. [Read more 🡒]