Why the Blue Jays should bat Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lower in the lineup

Imagine hearing someone argue in late October 2025 that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. shouldn’t hit in the top half of the Toronto Blue Jays’ lineup. You probably would have laughed at them. 

Well, if that date of that conversion took place after October 19th, then your argument would hold a ton of water since Guerrero hasn’t hit a home run at Rogers Centre ever since. It’s been over a full calendar year since he went deep at home during the regular season, and almost as long since his last home run at all, when factoring in the playoffs. His drought is equal parts astounding and embarrassing—and yet he continues to bat second or third almost every single night. 

Blue Jays manager John Schneider has remained stubborn in his commitment regarding the $500-million man, but this team is running out of time. Guerrero simply isn’t one of their best hitters right now, and, as such, should hit lower in the lineup until he gets back to being one. 

What should the Blue Jays do with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.?

Guerrero entered Thursday as the owner of a .262/.334/.353 slash line with just seven home runs and 46 RBIs. He’s graded as a below-average hitter by OPS+ (91) and wRC+ (95) across a sample size of over 500 plate appearances. 

Things aren’t pretty under the hood, either. While his expected batting average, bat speed, and K-rate are all still elite, his quality of contact has plummeted. His average exit velocity, hard-hit percentage, and barrel rate are all the lowest of his career by a wide margin. 

Over the years, Guerrero has been prone to stretches where his production didn’t quite match his process—this isn’t the case right now. He’s not hitting for power this year because he’s not hitting the ball hard consistently.

The argument for hitting Guerrero lower has two sides: taking some of the pressure off him so he can hopefully fix his swing before time runs out, while also giving more at-bats to the few hitters on the Blue Jays that have actually produced at the plate. 

The meritocracy component can’t be overlooked. The Blue Jays spoke at length during spring training about how results would dictate who would pitch for them when it appeared they would have an embarrassment of riches in that department. Injuries derailed that plan, but that mindset should still be applied where possible. 

There’s precedent for making such a move in recent Blue Jays history, too. Schneider lit a fire under a slumping Bo Bichette in 2022 by batting him seventh—he responded with the best month of his career. George Springer, meanwhile, has been removed from his preferred leadoff spot on several occasions during his time in Toronto. 

Now, Brett Bateman appears firmly entrenched in that lead-off spot. Some combination of Springer, Alejandro Kirk, and Kazuma Okamoto should hit behind him. Then, depending on the matchup, it could make sense to insert someone like Nathan Lukes or Ernie Clement before eventually arriving at Guerrero. 

Does pushing Guerrero down the lineup come across as desperate? Perhaps, but that’s exactly what the Blue Jays are right now. They’re clinging to slim playoff hopes. They can’t afford to keep having their supposed star pop up with runners on base. Forget fear of punishment; Schneider has a responsibility to put his team in a position to win. 

Eventually, something’s got to give. Guerrero simply hasn’t been good enough in 2026. The front office built this roster expecting him to produce like an MVP candidate. In reality, he’s been a below-replacement-level player—and those guys don’t usually hit third. 

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