Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is having a straight-up “disappointing” season right now, at least according to Joel Reuter over at Bleacher Report. This is the guy the Toronto Blue Jays just handed a massive 14-year, $500 million extension to, and that beast of a deal kicked in this year. When you’re talking nearly $36 million per year, you expect some serious bang for your buck, but Reuter’s already calling Guerrero one of the top 25 most overpaid players in baseball. Ouch.
The Power Has Just Vanished
Man, last year’s postseason feels like a lifetime ago, right? Guerrero was an absolute monster, smashing eight home runs in just 18 games to help propel the Blue Jays all the way to the World Series. That’s the Vladdy we all know and love to hate from across the diamond. But this year? Completely different story. He’s only hit seven long balls in a whopping 486 plate appearances. Seven. And get this: *none* of them have been at home in Toronto’s Rogers Centre. Zero dingers for the home crowd. His power is practically nonexistent out there. It’s one of the strangest stats in the Majors, seeing their slugger go completely homerless in his own stadium. How do you even explain that?
The $500 Million Struggle Is Real
The Blue Jays clearly thought they had their guy locked up as the face of the franchise with that half-billion-dollar deal. And yeah, he still got named an All-Star for the sixth year running this season. But even with that, his .356 slugging percentage is out there looking like one of baseball’s most disappointing stats. It just screams that the performance is nowhere near that $500 million level. This isn’t just about a few missing home runs; it’s a fundamental struggle for a guy who should be absolutely crushing it.
The Blue Jays are currently fighting hard, right in the thick of the Wild Card race. But let’s be real, their chances of actually qualifying are gonna look super weak if Guerrero keeps this struggle going. They need their $500 million All-Star to start performing like one, and soon. The next time they hit the field, Vladdy needs to wake up at the plate and show everyone why they broke the bank for him.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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