Blue Jays' Guerrero Jr slump threatens playoff hopes

The Toronto Blue Jays enter a pivotal weekend series against the New York Yankees on Friday, June 12, with their season at a crossroads, sitting three games below .500 and grappling with a perplexing power outage from their star first baseman, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Through the team's first 67 games, Guerrero has hit only three home runs, a dramatic drop for a player who averaged over 30 homers per season from 2021 to 2025. Despite the lack of power, his underlying numbers remain solid; he is batting .282 with a .371 on-base percentage and is striking out at a career-low rate. The primary issue is a decline in hard contact, with his slugging percentage falling to .366, well below his established .507 mark over the previous five seasons.

Manager John Schneider has expressed unwavering support for Guerrero, calling him the team's best hitter and expressing confidence that a turnaround is imminent. Former player and analyst Cliff Floyd suggested a mechanical adjustment, stating Guerrero needs to get on top of the plate more to correct a chase-heavy approach and rediscover his damage zone.

The team's offensive struggles extend beyond Guerrero. Veteran George Springer has also slumped,...