The Toronto Blue Jays splashed like there’s no tomorrow in the offseason. Riding on the 2025 World Series heartbreak, they signed Dylan Cease for a 7-year, $210 million contract. Kazuma Okamoto is signed to a four-year, $60 million deal. The biggest one was obviously securing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for $500 million. But their numbers so far don’t justify these aggressive transactions.

The worst part is the lack of power hitting from their 2025 hero, Guerrero, and if this continues, insiders believe the Jays’ playoff hopes could fade out.

“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. But with a sub-.400 slugging average and drooping exit velocities, he’s just not hitting the ball very hard very often. 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,” ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle said.

Guerrero is just behind Ernie Clement in terms of average in the Blue Jays clubhouse, and he has an elite strikeout rate. He currently boasts an elite strikeout rate of approximately 10.4% to 10.6%, ranking him in the 90th percentile among all major league hitters. He consistently pairs this incredibly disciplined contact approach with high on-base metrics and rarely swings outside the zone. However, the issue lies deeper.

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The issue lies in his power hitting. Guerrero is struggling in 2026 with a severe power outage, hitting just three HRs through his first 66 games. This is a massive drop-off from 2025, when he maintained a .292 batting average with 23 regular-season home runs and put up a legendary 8-home run postseason performance. He is the same guy who batted .397 last postseason.

Last year, Guerrero’s hot bat was one of the key reasons behind the Jays’ dominance at the plate. They set an MLB record for the most runs scored in a single postseason (105 runs), averaging 5.6 runs per game last postseason. Without his big hits in 2026, the rest of the team looks weak.

The Blue Jays are currently ranked 23rd in terms of scoring runs (277) and 18th in terms of slugging (.387). Guerrero fixed a short slump back in 2022 by changing his swing. But no Blue Jays star has ever bounced back from a power drop this bad to save a whole season by himself.

The Jays are currently seven games behind the table-toppers, Tampa Bay Rays, and if this slump continues, securing a playoff berth could get difficult. Even manager John Schneider knows how Guerrero’s cold bat is stopping the Jays’ offense.

“I want him to keep going, keep understanding he’s the face of our team,” Schneider said, according to Keegan Matheson. “He’s our best hitter. It’s going to come around for him. It takes a game. It takes a swing.”

However, despite his struggles at the plate, Vladimir Guerrero’s off-field popularity is still unshaken.

Vladimir Guerrero announced a new partnership

Guerrero is the cornerstone of the Blue Jays and is considered one of the best hitters currently in MLB. He enjoys immense popularity across Canada, and brands know this. Guerrero’s latest partnership with the gambling site Betway is the latest example.

“The best players know it’s not always about when to swing,” Betway shared. “It’s about knowing when to take a walk. We’re proud to team up with vladdyjr27 as our Responsible Gambling Ambassador to promote Responsible Gambling. Feel the action. Bet the responsible way.”

MLB has come a long way regarding gambling, and the concept of “responsible gambling” has been made legal in the league. While no financial details emerged about this partnership, Betway joins a long list of brands associated with Guerrero. Brands like Uber Eats and A&W have already partnered with the Blue Jays slugger.

Just a better on-field number would complete the cycle for Vladimir Guerrero. The Jays fans could only hope that it comes at the earliest.