Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s 5 RBI performance for Blue Jays could mark the return of the hitter they've yearned for

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Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s 5 RBI performance for Blue Jays could mark the return of the hitter they've yearned for

By Vanessa Serrao | Last updated Sep 2, 2026 10:31 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays have been waiting all season long for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to come up big with his bat and the first baseman finally delivered with his best performance of the season against the Cleveland Guardians.

Guerrero came up clutch with a five-RBI performance, which included three hits and a huge three-run home run in the top of the third inning. While fans will need more than one game to be convinced that Guerrero Jr. is back to his dominant self, his stellar performance has come at a pivotal time and could be a sign of his return to form.

The Blue Jays took the loss against the Guardians on Tuesday with a 6-1 defeat with Gavin Williams recording a career-high 13 strikeouts. But with ace Dylan Cease on the mound on Wednesday night the Blue Jays had the perfect opportunity to answer back and that's exactly what they did with an 11-0 victory over the Guardians.

They provided an abundance of run support for the AL Cy Young favorite, who has lowered his ERA to 2.25 on the season, while picking up his 10th win. The victory also allowed them to remain in the AL wild-card hunt. A loss from both the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers helped as they now sit 1.5 games out of the final wild-card spot.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. LAUNCHES a 3-run moonshot

The @BlueJays have scored SIX runs in the first two innings! pic.twitter.com/dEWlYVWRbl
— MLB (@MLB) September 2, 2026

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. provides the Blue Jays with his biggest swing of the season

While the first baseman has shown signs of hitting the ball hard and has made better swing decisions recently, he's come up short hitting directly to defenders in the outfield. Vladdy's eighth home run of the season also ended his home run drought; he hadn't homered since Aug. 8.

The home run reached an exit velocity of 107.8 mph and went 406 feet off of an 81 mph curveball from Guardians pitcher Joey Cantillo. Vladdy also hit an RBI double in the first inning that drove in rookie sensation Brett Bateman, who's been an impactful sparkplug for the Blue Jays.

Guerrero was a triple shy for the cycle, and the huge smile he had glued on his face following his big performance should help to boost his confidence as the Blue Jays look to take the series with Jose Soriano on the mound on Thursday.

If he can continue producing offensively, it will not only help the Blue Jays clinch the postseason but also provide them with a big presence in the postseason. Guerrero was a significant run producer in the team's success in the 2025 postseason, where he hit a phenomenal .397 with eight home runs and 15 RBI across 18 games.

Vanessa Serrao

Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

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