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Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s Power Drop Is Dragging Down Blue Jays

Regaining his left-handed power is seen as the clearest path for the club to climb back in the AL East and Wild Card race.

Overview

  • Reports in mid-June show Guerrero has just three home runs through roughly the first two-and-a-half months of the season, leaving his slugging (.366) far below his career norms.
  • The Blue Jays have stumbled to a 34-38 start and sit about 10 games back in the AL East, a slide analysts link in part to Guerrero's loss of power.
  • Guerrero missed a few games with lower-back tightness on June 12 and was expected to return to the lineup on Tuesday, according to MLB.com.
  • Despite the power outage, he has preserved strong on-base skills, hitting about .280 with a .372 OBP and drawing more walks (34) than strikeouts (30).
  • The team’s wider injury problems, notably multiple starters on the 60-day injured list and Andres Giménez’s wrist issue, magnify the impact of Guerrero’s slump and make a quick power resurgence especially important for Toronto’s playoff hopes.