Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has a lot of work to do this offseason.
The 27-year-old slugger had the worst full season of his career in 2026. He hit .260 with nine home runs and 57 RBIs in 144 games. His .688 OPS fell 160 points from .848 in 2025.
The home run, RBI and OPS totals were career lows for a full season. Toronto finished last in the AL East at 79-83 and missed the playoffs.
The slump came in the first season of Guerrero’s 14-year, $500 million contract. A down year this early in the deal looks bad for Guerrero, so he has work to do.
He has already made one change. He had laser eye surgery early in the offseason. Now, more offseason news has surfaced.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Has Personal News Emerge
Guerrero has started his offseason preparation. He recently completed a practice session at Optimum Sports Performance with instructor Claudia Gomez.
Gomez specializes in bodyweight mastery, functional mobility and physical expression. Her facility is in the Dominican Republic, where Guerrero will spend most of his offseason.
The slugger is working to manage his body weight and his hitting mechanics as he prepares for 2027. His body mechanics became a topic after the season.
Former Cincinnati Reds star Joey Votto said Guerrero needs to use less body in his swing. He said the barrel should do the moving, also comparing Guerrero’s timing problems to a driver approaching a stop sign at 100 mph.
The Reds star pointed Guerrero toward his father. He called Vladimir Guerrero Sr. the model for the hitter his son should be.
Guerrero plans on doing just that. He will train with his father this offseason.
Vladdy Sr. told Dominican reporter Mike Rodriguez he plans to work more with his son in the Dominican Republic. Guerrero’s uncle, former major leaguer Wilton Guerrero, will also help.
Guerrero Sr. hit .318 with 449 home runs over 16 seasons. He entered the Hall of Fame in 2018.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Visits His Father
Guerrero has already visited his father. The two spent a day together before the offseason grind begins.
A video of the visit is Episode 4 of the “Cherchando” series. It shows a day built around a barbecue and dominoes. Guerrero’s friends visited his father for a day of partying. They prepared chicken, played dominoes at a park table and fired up a grill after dark. The games continued into the night.
The visit comes ahead of the work Guerrero Sr. has planned with his son this offseason. Guerrero enters 2027 in the second year of his contract.
Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Has Personal News Emerge Amid MLB Offseason