Baseball has a funny way of flipping the script. And well, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sure knows a thing or two about it. His blockbuster deal with the Toronto Blue Jays is now under scrutiny, and just when things seemed to take a turn for the better, it’s all at ground zero again.

Just a day after lifting the Blue Jays to a thrilling 5-4 victory over the New York Yankees with a clutch go-ahead two-run single, Guerrero Jr. found himself on the opposite side of the emotional spectrum. On Tuesday night at the Rogers Centre, the story was different, and it ended with one frustrated slugger and a broken bat.

It unraveled in the middle innings, when the Jays were trailing 2-0 behind the Yankees. Guerrero came up in a key moment with a chance to flip the momentum, but yet again, no magic. The reaction?

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., frustrated, walked away from the plate, and he snapped his bat clean in two. It was a visual sight of what he had really been feeling—agitated. And why not? He is supposed to be the face of the franchise. Someone whom the Jays were supposed to build the team around. And yet here he is—cracking under pressure—and the sound of wood is a powerful metaphor for the weight he has been carrying this season.

However, even though his season started painfully slow, it’s worth remembering how strong a June he had after. He slashed .290/.383/.516 with nine doubles, four home runs, 18 RBIs, and 18 runs across 25 games. And sure, Vladdy walked to the dugout, and he appeared calm and expressionless. Now is it uncommon? Not really; players do get heated after a rough at-bat. That’s not new, but it’s the cool, almost eerie calmness with which Guerrero dismantled the bat that caught everyone’s eye.

Breaking a bat like that is not easy, but for Vladdy, it looked like second nature after a first-inning letdown. But while Guerrero Jr. was fuming early, it was another Blue Jay who turned fireworks into something much sweeter—on Canada Day!

Springer powers Toronto Jays with grand slam glory

George Springer, who is now in his fourth season in Toronto, made his kind of history on Tuesday night. The right fielder crushed his 100th home run as a Toronto Blue Jay in a monster performance that helped fuel a 12-5 rout over the New York Yankees!

Springer’s bat didn’t come alive; it lit everything up. He homered twice, starting with a solo shot in the fourth to get Toronto on board. But it was his second hit, a grand slam in the seventh, that blew up the game. Tied game? Not a question anymore. But it’s not a one-game force either, because Springer has been a steady force all year.

Springer has slashed .270/.367/.486 with an .853 OPS—10th best in the AL. He leads the team in home runs (13) and slugging. All this despite having played fewer games than Bo Bichette and Guerrero. Now that does say something about the other two struggling! Swinger also sits comfortably among the AL’s Top 5 in both hits and RBI.

Now, though, with just one game left with the Yankees, the Jays will be hoping for a great result. They have a matchup against the Angels and the White Sox coming up, too. One thing is for sure: to catch up, Springer’s veteran bat might be the difference-maker. Don’t you think?