Amid difficult season, Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits first home run at Rogers Centre

TORONTO (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Blue Jays' slugger, scored his first home run outside of North America this season. The 2023 Home Run Derby champion connected with a 350-foot drive off Baltimore's Trevor Rogers during the fifth inning of Sunday's 8-1 victory at Rogers Centre. The homer occurred in the team's 75th home game, igniting celebrations in the dugout.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider remarked, "It looked like it was a walk-off homer. Vlad's our guy. It's just nice to get that out of the way." Guerrero, currently batting .265 with 56 RBIs in 135 games, expressed his delight, noting, "It means a lot." This marked his 29th career home run against Baltimore, surpassing his previous record of homers against any other opponent.

The home run would have been a hit in six of the 30 major league stadiums. Guerrero's powerful performance against Baltimore included eight home runs in 18 postseason games last October, which helped Toronto advance to Game 7 of the World Series, where he hit three home runs, all at Rogers Centre. A six-time All-Star, Guerrero last homered in a Toronto regular season game on August 17, 2025, against Texas.