Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. booed by Toronto fans amid slump

Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has had his offensive struggles this season, but things hit a new low on Monday night.

Guerrero Jr. was booed by a sold-out Rogers Centre crowd after he struck out swinging in the bottom of the eighth inning of Toronto's 7-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The 27-year-old finished 0-for-4 at the plate, marking his third hitless game in his last five outings.

What made the night even more frustrating was that Guerrero Jr. came to the plate with runners on base in all four of his at-bats but failed to drive in or advance a runner each time.

After tonight's 0-for-4, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is now batting .259 with a .695 OPS.

Even as we watch it all happen, I can't believe that it keeps stretching on. Baffling season. #BlueJays

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) July 21, 2026

Monday night was just the latest chapter in what's been an uncharacteristically difficult season for the six-time MLB All-Star at the Rogers Centre.

Guerrero Jr. has yet to hit a home run in Toronto this season. His last home run in Toronto came in Game 6 of the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners on Oct. 19, 2025. It's now been just over nine months since.

He's also appeared in 48 of the 53 games the Blue Jays have played at home this year.

Despite the slump, manager John Schneider said after Monday's game that his confidence in Guerrero Jr. hasn't changed.

"I don't know what it feels like to wake up and be Vladdy, and the expectations and the pressure that comes with it," Schneider told reporters after the game. "I know he wants to be the guy, and I have confidence he's our guy. We signed him for a reason, and he's been everything we could ask for."

Guerrero Jr.'s struggles have caught many Blue Jays fans by surprise, considering he hit .397 with eight home runs in Toronto's 2025 postseason run to the World Series.

The team has committed to him long term, signing him to a 14-year, $500 million deal before the 2025 MLB season. The deal made him one of the highest-paid players in baseball, and it also keeps him a Blue Jay until the end of the 2039 season.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has not hit a home run at the Rogers Centre since Oct. 19, 2025. (Nick Turchiaro/Imagn Images)

Toronto's offensive numbers have tanked with its franchise cornerstone.

After leading the American League East at this point last season, the Blue Jays now sit in last place with a record of 46-54. They also rank dead last in the majors in runs scored (398) and are the only team that hasn't reached the 400-run mark through its first 100 games.

If Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays are going to turn this bus around, they'll have to do it quickly.

Toronto has 13 games remaining before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, a stretch that will likely determine whether the team buys or sells. It won't be easy, either. Every opponent before the deadline has a record above .500.