Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr is pumped up about the upcoming 2026 season.
After coming so close to baseball’s ultimate prize, the disappointment lingered throughout the winter.
But with Spring Training underway in Dunedin and a new season on the horizon, Guerrero appears to have turned the page.
The slugger is embracing a fresh start and the excitement that comes with it.
Speaking to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson through interpreter Hector LeBron, Guerrero expressed genuine enthusiasm about the direction of the club and the atmosphere in camp.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (via interpreter):
“We acquired new players, great players. I think this is going to be more fun. I’m actually happier than last year. For whatever reason, I’m happier and feeling great. I have good feelings about this year.” #BlueJays
There will be at least one noticeable change for Guerrero in 2026.
Guerrero exited about new acquisitions and relationships
The two grew up in the organization together, rising through the minor leagues side by side and eventually becoming the faces of the franchise. Moving forward without Bichette marks the end of an era.
Still, new connections are already forming. One of Guerrero’s early bonds this spring has been with Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto, a key offseason addition.
Okamoto speaks a little bit of Spanish so the two will be as thick as thieves going forward.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on Kazuma Okamoto:
“The good thing about him is that he knows a little bit of Spanish, so we can communicate a little bit there.”
The legend grows:
• “Very manly”
• Speaks a bit of Spanish
Around this time last year, Guerrero was just a couple of months away from landing a half-billion-dollar extension to keep him in Toronto for his remaining productive years, and this was something that loomed over the whole offseason.
A year later with his future secured, Guerrero can simply focus on baseball and how this team can get back to the World Series.
If the way he played in October is any indication, that could be a scary sight for the rest of the American League.
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