Blue Jays superstar watches WBC dreams get destroyed after a controversial ending

For the second time in four months, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. comes up short in a chase for a championship. Despite his efforts, just like the Toronto Blue Jays, Team Dominican Republic couldn't capitalize on a strong showing from Guerrero and bowed out of the World Baseball Classic with a loss on Sunday evening against Team USA.

However, the outcome may have been different if all of the Major League Baseball rules were in place.

Lack of ABS helps Team USA advance of Guerrero Jr. and Team D.R.

The World Baseball Classic did not incorporate the use of the Automated Ball-Strike system which didn't sit well with a lot of fans, and former players, and was an unfortunate, and painful, lesson for the members of the Dominican team. During their semi-final game against the USA, Team D.R. were down by a run in the bottom of the ninth with the tying run on third.

Geraldo Perdomo was at the plate facing Mason Miller and Perdomo worked himself into a full-count situation, laying off some pitches that weren't close, and fighting off a couple of 100+ mph fastballs. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Miller threw a slider that was nowhere near the zone, but Home Plate Umpire Cory Blaser rang him up anyway, and ended the game, handing Team USA a one-way ticket to the WBC championship game.

It was one of several blown calls behind the plate that had a negative effect on the outcome of the game for the Domincan's. Although, they also didn't help themselves out by grounding into numerous double plays, and not being able to drive runners in going 2-for-9 with RISP and leaving eight men stranded. Still, they managed to keep the USA to within a run right up until the bottom of the ninth, giving themselves a chance to win it.

But just like the 2025 World Series, Guerrero and his team came up just short at the plate with the game on the line. In Game 7 against the LA Dodgers, with the Blue Jays down by a run, Guerrero Jr. led off the bottom of the 11th with a double, but got stranded on third after an game ending double play a few batters later. No fault to Guerrero though, who was just as good in the WBC as he was in the 2025 MLB playoffs.

In five games, Guerrero hit .444/.476/.944 with two home runs and two walks with no strikeouts, getting eight hits in 18 at-bats. It continues his elite stretch that started the moment the postseason began. In 18 games, Guerrero hit .412, smashed 10 home runs (a Blue Jays single season playoff record) has 16 extra base hits and walked twice the amount he struck out (14-7). Guerrero talked about having a different mindset going into those playoff games and his new approach to the plate paid off in spades.

While these are absured stats to maintain over the course of a regular season, the Blue Jays can be hopeful that this upsetting finish in the WBC can further fuel Vladdy's passion for winning, and get them on the path to completing the job this time around in the World Series.