Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has had a very poor 2026 season, and he may have just made things worse by getting in front of a mic.
The Toronto Blue Jays star Guerrero was interviewed this week by Noticias Telemicro, an outlet in his native Dominican Republic. During the interview, Guerrero responded to the criticism that he was overpaid on his massive new contract extension from the Blue Jays.
“The contract I got was based on what I did, not necessarily for what I’m going to do,” said Guerrero, per a rough translation from MLB reporter Hector Gomez. “I understand why the fans believe that it’s the other way around. Sometimes I think that way too, like, ‘Oh they give me this money, and I’m not doing enough.’ But you know I try my best and I’m working hard.
“The fans I know how they are,” Guerrero added. “When you are doing great, they are 100 percent behind you. But when you are not at your best, not everybody is behind you. Almost nobody supports you. Those are my real fans, the ones that are supporting me all the time.”
Guerrero, now 27 years old, is a six-time All-Star for Toronto who has also won two Silver Slugger Awards, led MLB in home runs in 2021, and helped the Blue Jays make it to the World Series in 2025. Before the 2025 season, Guerrero was rewarded by Toronto with an enormous 14-year, $500 million contract extension.
But Guerrero’s subsequent season in 2026 has been disastrous. His power hitting has been nowhere to be found as Guerrero has managed just nine home runs and 56 RBIs on a .263 batting average over 141 total games. The Blue Jays are also on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention this season at just 77-80 overall.
Meanwhile, that is a very concerning mindset for Guerrero that he believes he is getting paid for past performance, despite being in the prime of his career right now and being under contract all the way until 2039. Guerrero has also been showing some frustration for much of this season, and it may be a problem that only he can fix at this point.
