Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. broke out of his home-run slump at Rogers Centre, crushing his ninth homer of the season on Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles. 

It was the first regular-season home run he hit at Rogers Centre since Aug. 17, 2025. The last home run he hit there overall took place on Oct. 19, 2025, in Game 6 of the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners, per MLB.com's Keegan Matheson.

While Guerrero has recorded career-lows with power and offensive production this season, he's recently shown signs of life. Prior to his ninth home run, he crushed a ball off the center field wall in the third inning, collecting his 26th double. 

While it initially appeared to almost look like a home run, the hard-hit double foreshadowed that he was close to hitting one out of the park. He then followed by crushing a bomb in his 150th game of the season with just two weeks left of the regular season. 

Guerrero received a standing ovation from the crowd at Rogers Centre following his long-awaited home run. It was a massive contrast to the boos he's received as of late with his ongoing inconsistencies at the plate. But fans have also been rooting for the $500 million man when he's been up at bat to help boost his confidence with the down season he's had. 

Despite the struggles, Guerrero has continued to provide elite defense, keeping him the conversation for his second Gold Glove award at first. 

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s offense is slowly heating up at the right time

If Guerrero hadn't homered on Sunday, he would have had six more home games to try and break the curse. But the big moment that Blue Jays fans have been waiting for finally graced them, providing an overwhelming spark of both relief and joy. 

For a while, it looked like he was going to end the 2026 regular season without homering at Rogers Centre. But the home-grown talent has continued to silence critics and work through his offensive woes. 

With a huge weight now lifted off his shoulders, he will look to provide timely hits for a Blue Jays team battling for a postseason berth. A return to form for the remaining stretch will be critical for the Blue Jays as they continue to battle in a tight AL wild-card race. 

If the Blue Jays are successful in clinching a final AL wild-card spot, it would be huge to have Guerreo help the team make a run. Last season, Guerrero dominated with a stellar 1.289 OPS with 29 hits, eight home runs and 15 RBI across 18 games in the Blue Jays' postseason run.