The Toronto Blue Jays are still miraculously in the postseason race thanks to how the American League has shaken out this year.
Even after the turnaround since the All-Star break, one of the main storylines regarding the Blue Jays has been star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the season he's had so far.
It's been a disappointing year for Guerrero, with this arguably being the worst season of his career up to this point. Multiple injuries have played a role in that as well.
The Blue Jays have been finding ways to win without his consistent production, but with the last few weeks of the regular season coming up, it will be important for Toronto to get some contributions from Guerrero Jr. to potentially squeak into the postseason.
The Jays are quite literally just behind the Cleveland Guardians for the last Wild Card spot, and just won the season series this past week. A big reason for that was Guerrero Jr., who put together arguably his best performance this season in the second game of the series on Sept. 2.
Guerrero Jr. ended up 3 for 4 with a home run, a double, and five RBI. He also reached 1200 career hits in the game. Additionally, this was his first five-RBI game in well over two years, with his last one on June 29, 2024.
His hitting is what made the final score of this game 11-0. The Blue Jays carried that momentum into the next game and won the series thanks to a 6-3 victory on Thursday.
Guerrero's season numbers are still not what anyone would've expected, with a .689 OPS and .260 average in 126 games. He has just eight homers ( all on the road ), along with 54 RBI. This is by far the lowest OPS of his career.
He's also coming off a month in August where he struggled immensely with a .558 OPS and just four RBI in 19 games. It will be a huge boost for the Blue Jays if Guerrero Jr. can pick up his pace in September. There are just seven series remaining for the rest of the year, and his power can make this offense more consistent.
Momentum can greatly impact hitting, and it's possible a game like that can carry him forward well into the month.
He already has six RBIs this month in just three games. A September to remember could change the narrative of his struggling season if he delivers when it really matters.
It didn't look like the Blue Jays were going to play meaningful baseball this month, but Guerrero Jr. has the opportunity to take advantage and show why he's a clutch performer.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/bluejays/onsi as Can Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s Breakout Game Spark September Turnaround? .
