Vladimir Guerrero Jr. still has Kevin Pillar's belief, but the former Blue Jays outfielder made it clear the swing is not fully right yet.
Pillar's read was simple and sharp. He said Guerrero has a God-given ability to put the bat on the ball, but added that the mechanics still do not look right even if the recent home run may have given him the confidence jolt he needed.
That lands because Guerrero's 2026 line still looks strange for a hitter of his caliber. He is batting .279 with a .367 on-base percentage, but he has only 4 home runs and a .739 OPS through 71 games.
For most hitters, that would be a useful season. For Guerrero, it keeps feeling light.
The contact is still there, which is exactly what Pillar was getting at. Guerrero has 72 hits against 31 strikeouts, and that kind of bat-to-ball skill usually keeps a hitter afloat even when the power shape is off.
But Blue Jays fans are not waiting on singles. They are waiting for the version of Guerrero that changes games with one swing, and that version has shown up only in flashes so far.
That is why Pillar's point matters. He is not saying Guerrero is lost. He is saying the swing still looks a little out of sync, and that is a very different diagnosis.
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Pillar sees the bat speed, but not the full swing yet
The recent homer matters because confidence can cover a lot when the foundation is already this talented. Guerrero does not need a total rebuild at the plate. He needs his mechanics to line back up often enough for the power to follow.
There are signs that the discipline is still intact. Guerrero has 34 walks, and his .367 on-base percentage says he has not turned into a free-swinging mess while trying to force the power back.
That is part of what makes this slump so frustrating. The strike-zone feel still looks like Guerrero. The damage does not.
Pillar's view gives the whole thing a cleaner frame. If the mechanics are not right, then the lack of lift and thump makes more sense than if this were just random bad luck.
And if that recent homer really did give Guerrero a little belief back, Toronto has every reason to think the next stretch could look different fast.
That is the bet the Blue Jays keep making. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. still has the hands, the eye, and the natural contact gifts almost nobody else has. Kevin Pillar just thinks the swing needs a little more fixing before the full version shows up again.
Do you agree with Kevin Pillar that Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s swing still is not right?
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