Vladimir Guerrero Jr. resides as much as his fame as a Yankee killer — after which some.
By means of two video games within the ALDS, the Toronto Blue Jays’ largest slugger is 6-for-9 (.667) with two dwelling runs, six RBI and a 1.933 OPS.
His grand slam in Toronto’s 13-7 win in Recreation 2 was the primary in Blue Jays postseason historical past.
Guerrero’s offensive excellence is among the many principal causes the Yankees are down 0-2 within the best-of-five sequence and enter Tuesday evening’s Recreation 3 within the Bronx on the point of elimination.
“My emotions are neutral right now,” Guerrero mentioned Monday throughout a exercise at Yankee Stadium. “It’s not time to celebrate. It’s not time to put your head down. It’s not over. There’s a lot of work to do still.”
Guerrero’s torrid begin to the season has additional elevated his standing as a Yankees nemesis.
The 26-year-old famously declared just a few years in the past that he would by no means play for the Yankees, saying his reasoning “goes back with my family.”
Many imagine the animosity stems from late Yankees proprietor George Steinbrenner signing Gary Sheffield as a substitute of the elder Vladimir Guerrero — Vlad Jr.’s father — earlier than the 2004 season, regardless of Guerrero reaching an settlement with basic supervisor Brian Cashman.
The youthful Guerrero softened his stance in 2024, expressing an openness to being traded to the Yankees. That risk is now moot, nevertheless, as Guerrero signed a 14-year, $500 million contract extension with the Blue Jays in April.
Nonetheless, questions on that historical past stay. Coming into the ALDS, Guerrero downplayed the notion that dealing with the Yankees is “personal” for him.
“To any team, it’s personal for me,” Guerrero mentioned. “Same thing with all the teams.”
A lot much less refined is the best way Guerrero hits in opposition to the Yankees.
In his seven-year profession, Guerrero has batted .302 with 22 dwelling runs, 74 RBI and a .918 OPS in 102 common season video games in opposition to the Yankees.
His solo homer within the first inning of Saturday’s ALDS Recreation 1 accounted for the primary of 23 runs scored by the Blue Jays over the weekend, which set the Yankees’ franchise report for runs allowed over a two-game span within the playoffs.
Guerrero had three hits, together with a homer, in every of the primary two video games.
“He’s hit a couple balls out of the ballpark but also shown his bat-to-ball skills, where he can kind of spray it around the yard, too,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned Monday. “He’s certainly hurt us so far, and hopefully we can contain that a little bit [in Game 3].”
Guerrero has been a fair greater pressure at Yankee Stadium in his profession, hitting .308 with 16 homers and a 1.002 OPS in 48 video games.
Even he can’t fairly clarify his excessive success within the Bronx.
“To be honest with you, I don’t know [why],” Guerrero mentioned Monday. “I don’t know. I’ve been asked that question many times, and I always just say I feel good.”
Guerrero, a five-time All-Star and the 2021 AL MVP runner-up, delivered a considerably muted 2025 season, no less than by his lofty requirements. He batted .292 with 23 dwelling runs, 84 RBI and an .848 OPS in 156 common season video games.
Guerrero entered the postseason on a 21-game dwelling run drought, and he managed solely three hits — all singles — within the closing six video games of the common season.
However Guerrero, who was born in Montreal whereas his father was on the Expos, caught hearth as quickly because the playoffs began, main Canada’s solely energetic MLB crew to its first playoff wins since 2016.
“Vlad has been dealing with some level of awe or superstardom from when he was a teenager,” Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider mentioned Monday. “I remember fans chasing our bus down the road in Double-A, wanting his autograph or Bo [Bichette’s] autograph. He’s been dealing with this for a long time, and he’s gotten really, really good at handling it.”
Schneider continued, “When he signed his extension, I think he understood that with that comes a little bit of extra responsibility to the organization, to the city, to the country, and he’s really tackled that head on.”
