Blue Jays' John Schneider Speaks on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s Struggles
The Toronto Blue Jays have not been playing their best baseball throughout the 2025 MLB season. After Monday's loss in the series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Blue Jays have a 32-35 record, which has them in third place in the American League East, eight games back of the Tampa Bay Rays for the top spot in the division.
Toronto has especially struggled recently, as manager John Schneider's team has lost six of its past nine games after winning four in a row before that. One of the biggest reasons for this slump has been the struggles at the plate of star first basemanVladimir Guerrero Jr.
Guerrero, who has been phenomenal for Toronto throughout his big-league career, especially in the power categories, has not seen the same success this year. After going 0-for-4 at the plate on Monday, Guerrero has gone 4-for-31 with just two extra-base hits and one RBI in his past eight games.
After the 5-2 loss to the Phillies, Schneider expressed his confidence in Guerrero turning his play around soon.
"I want him to keep going, keep understanding he's the face of our team," Schneider said, according to MLB.com reporter Keegan Matheson. "He's our best hitter. It's going to come around for him. It takes a game. It takes a swing."
John Schneider on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) June 9, 2026
"I want him to keep going, keep understanding he's the face of our team. He's our best hitter. It's going to come around for him. It takes a game. It takes a swing." #BlueJays
Through 65 games played this year, Guerrero has put up a slash line of .282/.371/.368 with an OPS of .739, totaling only three home runs and 25 RBIs. If his numbers continue for the rest of the season, his slugging percentage and OPS would be the worst of his eight-year tenure with Toronto.
Guerrero and the Blue Jays are back in action on Tuesday, as they try to bounce back at home against the Phillies. First pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. ET.
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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 7:26 PM.