The Toronto Blue Jays have been rolling offensively as they make one of the hottest teams in the league currently. But not all of their recent decisions have paid off. Without digressing too much, let’s rewind to April 2025. For the Blue Jays, the whole crux of handing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. a $500 million deal was for him to ignite the missing spark in the lineup, and he’s hitting well; no doubt. But, Vladdy has just been showing up, not standing out.

It should be the latter, given the price tag attached to him. Since May 28, Guerrero has recorded a slash line of .294/.390/.431. Yep, it’s decent. But according to the MLB insider Nick Ashbourne, when the Blue Jays are collectively slashing a league-best line of .303/.357/.514, there’s something worrisome if their best ace isn’t producing enough to match it.

Since Alejandro Kirk, George Springer, and Addison Barger have been delivering the goods, Guerrero hasn’t had to carry the load. But for how long? At some point, this trio and the rest of the Blue Jays’ lineup might drop their pace.

And whenever that happens, Guerrero will be naturally expected to be the anchor of the lineup. That’s exactly what convinced John Schneider to extend him with the richest deal in franchise history. But Clearly, his recent form has been alarming for the team. More than anything, it’s been an unsettling stretch for the slugger himself.

Looking at Guerrero’s ground ball rate, it currently sits at 47.4%. It’s super identical to his last year’s rate—47.7%. It’s barely budged. Even launch and attack angle haven’t changed much. It’s with the same swing that he produced a .522 slugging percentage last season. So, what’s happened now?

Guerrero overshadowed as his teammates help the Blue Jays stay ahead in the AL East Standings

Guerrero’s massive contract extension will not officially begin until the next season. However, clearly, he’s already under the pressure to deliver exceptionally. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays have climbed to second place in the AL East. They currently hold the 38-30 record and are four games behind the New York Yankees.

Irony here is that Guerrero was supposed to be the anchor of the lineup, but he’s not. In fact, it’s the utility players like Jonatan Clase and Tyler Heineman who have been delivering above expectations. They both have each homered once each during this recent hot stretch.

That’s not it. Even Ernie Clement has hit three home runs, driving in seven runs and tallying 10 extra-base hits. In fact, Addison Barger has gone deep 5 times, collecting 11 RBIs. Not to forget Bo Bichette and George Springer. These two have had a bit of a rough stretch initially this season but have been contributing well lately.

Both of them have individually recorded 13 RBIs. They have combined eight home runs along with 13 extra-base hits. On the contrary, Guerrero has recorded only 5 extra-base hits with 7 RBIs in the same stint. He has also stolen two bases, which signals his efforts. But it’s clearly not enough for his standard.

The Blue Jays, despite being held back by injury setbacks, have done enough to keep pace in the East. Now, Guerrero is expected to lead, especially at the plate.