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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. celebrates the seven-year anniversary of his MLB debut with the Toronto Blue Jays. His journey has made him the face of the franchise.
On the 2026 calendar, Sunday's Toronto Blue Jays game against the Cleveland Guardians is just one of many early season contests that will probably be forgotten by the time we reach the conclusion of the 162-game grind.
But for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., it should represent much more than that, as it marks the seven-year anniversary of his major league debut.
It's been an incredible ride for Guerrero - and the Jays - as he's become the face of the franchise.
Let's take a quick look at how we got here:
If you go back and look at the 2019 MLB Pipeline prospect rankings, Guerrero is right at the top, listed ahead of eventual superstars like Fernando Tatis Jr. (2), Kyle Tucker (8), Jesus Luzardo (12) and MacKenzie Gore (15).
That ranking alone comes with a pressure that's hard to match, but when you factor in that he's the son of a Hall of Fame father, there's even more pressure there.
And Guerrero wasn't the only son of a Hall of Famer in the Blue Jays organization at that time. Bo Bichette, ranked No. 11 on that list, and Cavan Biggio, were supposed to be the young trio that the future Blue Jays core was built around.
In 123 games that year, Guerrero hit .272 with a .339 on-base percentage, pounding 15 homers and driving in 69.
The COVID-19 pandemic rocked the world landscape and limited the baseball season to just 60 games, but the young and aspiring Blue Jays reached the playoffs. Guerrero played in all 60 games, hitting .262 with nine homers, but the Blue Jays were swept in two games.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made his MLB debut seven years ago, which places it in 2016.
Guerrero Jr. has become the face of the franchise, significantly contributing to the team's identity and success.
Key milestones include his debut in 2016, becoming an All-Star, and leading the team in various offensive categories.
The game against the Cleveland Guardians marks the seven-year anniversary of Guerrero's major league debut, highlighting his growth and achievements.
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Guerrero really took off in a full 2021 season, hitting .311 with an American League-best .401 on-base percentage. He led baseball in runs scored (123) and home runs (48), but the Blue Jays missed the playoffs entirely.
In 2022, he regressed to a .274 average with 32 homers and 97 RBIs, and then he had just 26 homers in 2022, which paired with a .264 average. There were questions if his 2021 season was just an outlier, and yes, the Blue Jays were swept in the wild card round of the playoffs by the Seattle Mariners.
Guerrero rebounded in 2023 to hit .323 with 30 homers, but Toronto was swept yet again in the playoffs, making Guerrero 0-6 in his playoff career.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) takes a bat during his 1000th game for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Cleveland Guardians during the seventh inning at Rogers Centre. Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
The Blue Jays had invested big money in George Springer, Kevin Gausman, and others, but were unable to get over the hump. Furthermore, heading into 2024, they whiffed on Shohei Ohtani in free agency, and then they finished last in the American League East.
With 2025 looming, there were questions about if the Blue Jays should break up the core and start over, especially with Bichette and Guerrero in the final year of their contracts. Instead of doing that, Toronto doubled down, going after Juan Soto and Roki Sasaki in free agency (and missing), and landing Anthony Santander and Jeff Hoffman. They signed Guerrero to a franchise-altering extension in April ($500 million) and made him the face of the franchise.
The Jays got to the World Series as he hit .292 with 23 homers and 84 RBIs. He hit .397 in the playoffs with a franchise-record eight home runs.
Through it all, Guerrero is a career .289 hitter with 185 home runs entering play on Sunday. He's a five-time All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger, a Gold Glover and a Home Run Derby champion. He'll go down as one of the best players in franchise history, and he'll likely have his name put up in the team Hall of Excellence some day.
All that's left? Win that elusive World Series, which Toronto is seeking for the first time since 1993.
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