Votto shares encouraging words for Vladdy after rough Toronto Blue Jays season

It's going to be a long offseason of reflection and soul-searching for Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

After reaching the World Series in 2025, the Blue Jays failed to make the playoffs in 2026, finishing with a disappointing 79-83 record. Guerrero wasn't the only reason for the team's struggles, but his own performance was certainly a contributing factor.

After smashing eight home runs in 15 playoff games last fall, Guerrero went deep just nine times in 144 regular-season appearances. His power wasn't the only thing that disappeared, either, as he finished the campaign with a career-low .260 batting average and just 57 RBI, his lowest total over a full 162-game season.

Former MLB star Joey Votto believes Guerrero's disappointing campaign could ultimately prove to be little more than a bump in the road for the talented first baseman.

Speaking with Sportsnet's Blair & Barker on Thursday, Votto offered an interesting explanation for Guerrero's struggles, comparing the hitter's timing issues to a driver approaching a stop sign at 100 mph.

"Every single time you approach that stop sign, you [would go] through it. You couldn't brake at the right time," Votto explained. "That's basically what happened to his barrel this year."

Votto pointed to the broken bats, jammed hits and ground balls that became increasingly common throughout Guerrero's season, suggesting the 27-year-old needs to simplify his swing and rely less on his body's movement.

"He has to figure out a way to get his body out of the way and let his barrel do all the moving," Votto said.

The good news, according to the former Cincinnati Reds star, is that Guerrero already possesses one of the most important tools a hitter can have.

"He will never need to try to hit the ball hard," Votto said. "He's one of the top guys with that, and that's the sort of thing that doesn't age. You'll always be able to hit the ball hard."

Votto also suggested Guerrero could benefit from studying his father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018 after a remarkable 16-year MLB career.

"His dad is textbook for what kind of hitter he should be. Less body, more simple swings," Votto said.

Despite Vladdy's struggles in 2026, Votto remains firmly in his corner. In fact, he believes the Blue Jays star has the potential to follow in his father's footsteps and eventually earn a place in Cooperstown himself.

"Vladdy's a phenomenal player, and I would bet on him becoming a Hall of Fame player similar to his dad," Votto said. "We as hitters sometimes have bad stretches, and this was hopefully Vladdy's one bad stretch in the course of his career."

For the Blue Jays, that is the kind of rebound they will desperately need in 2027. Guerrero signed a 14-year, $500-million extension with Toronto in 2025, keeping him under contract through 2039. The franchise's long-term hopes remain closely tied to the 27-year-old first baseman, making a return to his usual offensive production one of the biggest storylines heading into next season.