Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has John Schneider worried, and the Blue Jays manager thinks his star slugger is trying to do too much.
That is the line hanging over Toronto right now. After another rough night in a 7-6 extra-inning loss to the Rays on Tuesday, Schneider said Guerrero looks like a hitter trying to carry the whole club by himself.
«I think he's at the point where he wants to be the guy to carry us,» Schneider said. «The more he does that, the harder it gets.»
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Anyone who has watched Guerrero over the years knows what Schneider means. When Guerrero gets sped up, his swing can drift away from the easy violence that makes him dangerous and move toward something more forced.
Toronto's situation is not making that easier. The Blue Jays are 18-23, and the losing record has only added more pressure to a lineup that keeps searching for steadier damage in the middle.
Guerrero's full stat line still looks solid on paper. He is hitting .314 with an .814 OPS, so this is not a total collapse at the plate.
But the feel of it is different from the raw numbers. Tuesday's loss was another reminder that Toronto needs the version of Guerrero who changes games, not just the one who fills up a box score without truly owning the night.
Toronto needs Guerrero to stop chasing the save-the-team swing
That is why Schneider's quote landed. It was not just about 1 at-bat or 1 game. It was about a pattern the Blue Jays have seen before when Guerrero starts pressing for the big moment instead of letting it come to him.
The team context only sharpens that urge. Injuries have taken pieces out of Toronto's lineup and roster, and Guerrero already admitted recently that those absences can make him feel like he has to be the guy every night.
That mindset sounds noble, but it can wreck a hitter's rhythm fast. Guerrero is at his best when he trusts his hands, uses the whole field, and lets pitchers make the mistake instead of hunting a heroic swing in every big spot.
For Schneider, the message now is simple. The Blue Jays do not need Guerrero to force the season back into place in a week. They need him to relax enough to become the hitter the rest of the lineup can follow.
Toronto is still close enough for a hot stretch to change the mood fast. But that climb gets much tougher if Guerrero keeps playing like every at-bat has to rescue the whole dugout at once.
Schneider said out loud what plenty around the Blue Jays have been seeing. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. wants to carry this team, and right now that urge may be making the job even harder.
Is Vladimir Guerrero Jr. putting too much pressure on himself right now?
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