It could be Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s last season with the Toronto Blue Jays.
This is Blue Jays Nation’s annual 40-man Roster Review, where we look at the players on the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster. We’ll look at how the player performed in 2024, his season projections for the 2025 season, and any storylines heading into this season. In this article, we’ll look at Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The 2024 season was arguably the best of Guerrero Jr.’s career. Last season, he slashed .323/.396/.544 with 30 home runs in 697 plate appearances for a 165 wRC+ and a 5.5 fWAR. Moreover, he had a 10.3 BB% and a career-best 13.8 K%. The only other season Guerrero Jr. has had like this was in 2021, where he slashed .311/.401/.601 with 48 home runs in 698 plate appearances for a 166 wRC+ and a 6.3 fWAR, but he did play half his season in minor league stadiums.
Guerrero Jr.’s 2022 and 2023 were a steep step down from his MVP-runner-up season of 2021. In 2022, he had a 132 wRC+ and a 3.3 fWAR, posting an even worse 118 wRC+ and 1.3 fWAR in 2023. Over the past four seasons, Guerrero Jr. has led the team in home runs.
His 2025 Steamer projections are a positive sign. It has him slashing .297/.375/.529 with 33 home runs for a 155 wRC+ and a 4.9 fWAR. His Fangraphs Depth Chart has him slashing .297/375/.529 with an extra home run (34) and a 5.1 fWAR.
Obviously, the big storyline heading into the 2025 season is that this year will be Guerrero Jr.’s final under team control. Guerrero Jr. is expected to earn $29.6 million in arbitration according to MLB Trade Rumours.
According to Guerrero Jr. himself when he appeared on Abriendo Sports’ podcast, the Jays haven’t been close to what he wants for an extension. They have until the start of Spring Training to match what he wants (which he’ll sign immediately) or he’ll test the open market.
As always, you can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.