Speaking on a recent edition of the ' Refuse to Lose Territory ' podcast (a Seattle Mariners podcast), ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney made an interesting point about the World Baseball Classic and the struggles of players who played in it - all across baseball. Included on that list? Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
"The more people I talk to, the more that I believe that (the WBC) was a huge factor for the Mariners, for the Kansas City Royals, for the Boston Red Sox, for the Toronto Blue Jays," Olney said on the podcast. " ... Hitters are creatures of habit. They got into spring training and they're used to having — you show up at (7 a.m.), you have your breakfast, you go out, you take some rounds of hitting, maybe do some defense, and then you take some more swings and more swings and you gradually work your way in. What changed this spring in the WBC is the hours available to players to prepare. Cal (Raleigh) was affected by that. I'm absolutely convinced of that. I think (Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) was affected by that."
Guerrero's power drain has been a major storyline for the Blue Jays this season, and is certainly part of the reason why they enter play on Friday at 44-49 overall and out of the current playoff picture.
He's hitting .262 with five home runs and 37 RBIs. He's carrying an OPS+ of 90, below that of an average player (100). He also has a .694 OPS, well below his career norm of .847.
Guerrero has struggled, but what about other members of the Jays that participated in the WBC?
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) looks towards the field before the start of the game against the Texas Rangers at Rogers Centre. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Kirk suited up for Team Mexico but was injured on the first road trip of the season. He was hit by a foul ball and nothing that you could attribute to the WBC. He's played only 23 games this season, hitting .185, but the WBC can't really be blamed for his issues.
Clement, the All-Star starter at second base for the American League, is hitting .297 with seven home runs. He's got an OPS of .748, well above his career average, so the WBC doesn't seem to have hindered him much.
Signed to a four-year deal this offseason, Okamoto spent the WBC playing for Team Japan. All he's done? Be historically good for the Jays, hitting 21 home runs with a .776 slugging percentage.
Once again, it doesn't seem like the WBC affected him.
Japan designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (16) gestures toward Japan third baseman Kazuma Okamoto (25) during player introductions before a quarterfinal game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic against Venezuela at loanDepot Park. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Gimenez played for Venezuela, the eventual champions of the WBC, hitting only .111 in six games. He's now hitting .234 for the Jays, below his career average of .251. He's never been regarded as a top-tier offensive player, but his numbers are down across the board, suggesting that the WBC might be part of the story.
The number of players seemingly impacted by the WBC doesn't seem to be as big as other teams, but the fact that Guerrero is struggling so mightily counts for extra. Having him be impacted is a major deal for the organization, and something that needs to change if they are going to make a move in the second half.
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