TORONTO — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. finished making his way through the high-five line in the Blue Jays' dugout before heading back up the steps for a curtain call. As the sold-out Rogers Centre crowd chanted "Vladdy, Vladdy, Vladdy," Guerrero Jr. removed his helmet, raised his arms, and addressed them.
"Vamos!" Guerrero Jr. screamed, wearing a serious look on his face and the Blue Jays' home run jacket on his body.
One day after Guerrero Jr. emphatically announced his presence in these playoffs, he one-upped himself. If you’re looking for a signature post-season moment for the superstar, well, it doesn't get much better than this. As he stood in front of the dugout and acknowledged the rollicking 44,764 in attendance, it sure felt like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was finally doing what he was always meant to do in Toronto.
“That's something that you dream of since you're a child,” Guerrero Jr. said through interpreter Hector Lebron about the curtain call. “It happened to my dad a few times and he was happy. Tonight was (my turn) and it felt really good.”
The first baseman had just launched a 415-foot grand slam into the second deck that put the Blue Jays up, 9-0, effectively sealing what turned out to be a 13-7 thrashing of the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the ALDS. It was the first post-season grand slam in franchise history and came as right-hander Trey Yesavage delivered a masterful 5.1-inning, 11-strikeout performance.
Guerrero Jr. took some time to review video of his big swing following the game.
“It was awesome,” he said with a smile.
Right-hander Kevin Gausman, who started Saturday’s Game 1, happened to be in the clubhouse with some teammates during Guerrero Jr.’s home run and watched it on one of the big-screen televisions.
“We were jumping around up in here,” Gausman said. “A couple of us jumping on the couches and going crazy. It was a lot of fun.”
“That's a huge swing for him,” said manager John Schneider. “Huge swing in the game, obviously, but kind of cool for him the last two (games) to have some moments because he's our guy. He's our dude.”
George Springer said the home run is right up there with any other big moment he’s witnessed Guerrero Jr. produce.
“All the hard work he puts in, all the stuff he goes through on his own has kind of led him to this moment,” Springer said. “And I feel like that's why he's here. He's our guy. That's just a huge moment for him. A huge moment for us.”
Anthony Santander was sitting next to the team’s home run jacket and when he witnessed Guerrero Jr.’s swing, which resulted in a 110.7-m.p.h. missile, he grabbed the blazer, rushed to the front of the dugout and waited to adorn his teammate.
“A big moment for him, especially in this kind of game,” Santander said. “Something that we can't explain, man. This is the type of moment that we needed the guy to deliver.”
Having spent eight years with the division rival Baltimore Orioles, Santander was familiar with Guerrero Jr., but it wasn’t until last year’s All-Star Game that the two really got the chance to sit down and chat.
Santander, who signed with the Blue Jays in January, said that conversation gave him an initial understanding of Guerrero Jr.’s work ethic and what he went on to observe from his teammate during the 2025 campaign only reinforced that.
“For him, the type of player he is, everybody's expecting him to go 4-for-4, right?” said Santander. “Sometimes in this sport, we’re going to slump. He doesn't lose his mind. He's got that right mindset to just keep working.”
Guerrero Jr. endured an especially rough patch over the final two weeks of the regular season, hitting .164/.193/.182 over a span of 57 plate appearances. His final home run of the regular season came on Sept. 5. That raised some concerns since his playoff track record was just as dismal — Guerrero Jr. had produced just three hits in 22 career post-season at-bats, a track record of struggle that's hung over him like a dark cloud.
However, in helping the Blue Jays build a 2-0 lead over the Yankees in this best-of-three series, Guerrero Jr. has completely flipped the narrative. He's homered in two straight games and has collected six hits and six RBIs over nine at-bats.
“He's a guy you build a team around, so you know he's gonna show up at some point,” Santander said.
Added Schneider: “I said it before the series, I want him to play free and confident and loose, but at the same time be locked in. He's pretty locked in right now.”
Guerrero Jr., for his part, is intent on celebrating more in the coming weeks. If all goes well, he’ll have the chance to author even bigger moments.
The Blue Jays will now head to New York, where they’ll spend an off day ahead of Tuesday’s Game 3 that will see Shane Bieber face off against Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon.
“To be honest, for me, the job is not done yet,” said Guerrero Jr. “It's not over until you win the third game. We've got to keep working hard and keep working as a team together and focus on trying to win the third game.”
