SIMMONS SAYS: Guerrero’s woeful season is one for the ages

Those who know Guerrero best say he is terribly embarrassed by his lack of production.

Published Sep 20, 2026  •  Last updated 21 minutes ago  •  8 minute read

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays walks back to the dugout during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Sept. 18, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. Photo by Stacy Revere /Getty Images

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If Edward Rogers were a hands-on sporting owner — which he is not — he would be demanding a post-season face-to-face with Blue Jays bust Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

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He would be asking Guerrero to explain this rather disastrous season of his. He would be asking him what he’s planning to change for next year and the 12 seasons that come after that.

Entering play Saturday, Guerrero had hit nine home runs — one third of his usual production — this season. His OPS, slugging numbers, WAR and just about everything else statistically are the lowest of his career.

Those who know Guerrero best say he is terribly embarrassed by his lack of production and he has grown tired of all the meetings, the coaching, the daily work, the noise that has not resulted in anything resembling success during this wayward season.

Big-money free agent Kyle Tucker has also had a terrible season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has hit 17 home runs. Big-money free agent Bo Bichette is having a rather awful year, as well, with the New York Mets. He has hit 16 home runs. Vladdy has nine.

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What Guerrero has managed this season is almost historically impossible. Anyone can have an off season. This is an off season for the ages.

Rogers committed $500 million over 14 years for Vladdy. This was Year 1. It can’t possibly be worse than this in the future.

Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays throws a pitch during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Sept. 18, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. Photo by Stacy Revere /Getty Images

THIS AND THAT

Guerrero finally hit his first home run at home last weekend. He was so inspired by the scene and the mania that, prior to his team’s game in Texas on Saturday, he had gone 3-for-15 since, with no homers, no RBIs … What complicates the off-season for Guerrero and the Jays is the possibility of a lockout on Dec. 1. If that happens, and the Jays have plans to work with Guerrero to get his swing back, there can be no contact between the player and the team after that date … The Cy Young Award chase is over. Dylan Cease will finish second to Cam Schlittler in the voting and it likely won’t be close … You hear a rumour often enough and it eventually becomes true. So, I keep hearing that Mark Shapiro will be elevated to a senior position in charge of the Blue Jays, Maple Leafs and Raptors, pushing Keith Pelley to more of a broadcast and media related role with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. And I’m hearing it from people who know things. Shapiro is the chosen one with ownership. Whether he wants a job of this magnitude is anyone’s guess … How odd has this Jays season been? Well consider this: General manager Ross Atkins has brought in diamonds such as Cease, Kazuma Okamoto, Tyler Rogers, Spencer Miles, Brett Bateman and Josh Smith and somehow it hasn’t made his team better … WAR, the statistic, confuses me. Joe Carter’s career WAR is only 19.5. That basically disqualifies him from a Hall of Fame conversation of any kind. Here’s what’s odd to me: Slugger Carlos Delgado has a career WAR of 44.4 with giant power numbers. With lesser numbers, John Olerud has a career WAR of 58.1 … Word around the Jays is that minor-leaguer Ricky Tiedemann is no longer considered a starting pitcher of the future, but a reliever instead. He doesn’t seem to have the stamina for starting pitching.

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Auston Matthews at the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp in Etobicoke, at the Ford Performance Centre in Toronto on Sept. 17, 2026. Photo by Ernest Doroszuk /Toronto Sun

HEAR AND THERE

Which Auston Matthews will show up for the Maple Leafs this season? That is the question. But those screaming for a return to 60-goal seasons should understand this much: In those fabulous years in which Matthews scored 60 and 69 goals — and that doesn’t seem possible any longer — the Leafs were bounced both seasons in the first round of the playoffs … The Florida Panthers didn’t let Sergei Bobrovsky go because they thought he was finished. They let him walk because they didn’t want to commit three years of salary to a 38-year-old goalie … The Detroit Red Wings waited too long to fire Steve Yzerman and have waited too long to hire his replacement. Once upon a time, this was the model franchise. Now it’s among hockey’s most embarrassing … The nonsense that Connor Hellebuyck won’t play in Canada is senseless. If he were dealt to Edmonton or Montreal, he would report in a minute. He wants out of Winnipeg, not because the Jets are lousy, but because his family apparently has been treated poorly by the local community … Those expecting big things from Jack Roslovic need to understand this: He has been on five teams in the past seven seasons. That doesn’t happen accidentally. Roslovic also has only three goals in 51 career post-season games … By my calculations, Carolina, Montreal, Florida, Tampa Bay, Boston and Buffalo will all make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference this season. That means about eight teams, including the Leafs, will be fighting for the final two spots … What do former Leafs coaches Mike Babcock, Ron Wilson, Paul Maurice, Randy Carlyle, Pat Quinn and Pat Burns have in common? All coached in the Stanley Cup final before being hired in Toronto. Jim Hiller, with a 3-8 won-lost record in 11 playoff games, has not coached in a final … Training camp is now a mess in the NHL. There is barely time to practise or prepare before exhibition games are being played and the regular season begins. Realistically, teams should have a week of practice before playing their first game. If early season hockey is sloppy, there’s a reason for it.

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Head coach Joe Brady of the Buffalo Bills reacts during an NFL game at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Sept. 17, 2026. Photo by Timothy T Ludwig /Getty Images

SCENE AND HEARD

What are the odds of this? The new coach of the Buffalo Bills, Joe Brady, played and coached football at William and Mary University in Virginia. Same place that former Argonauts player and coach Pinball Clemons, former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, and former Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott, started at … All the years of listening to Vin Scully, Curt Gowdy or Ernie Harwell calling baseball games and never once did any of them mention the word “velo.” In their broadcasts … The Blue Jays have finished first in the American League East seven times in 50 seasons. The Atlanta Braves have finished first in the National League East seven times since Alex Anthopoulos went there from Toronto in 2018. The Braves have made the playoffs eight times in Anthopoulos’ nine seasons. The Jays have been in the playoffs eight times in the past 34 years … Just because you can score goals — and no NHL player has scored more than Alex Ovechkin — doesn’t make you a good person. One often has nothing to do with the other … Sport has become so over-coached: The Raptors will begin camp next week with 11 coaches on their staff and not many more than 10 players who matter … If Colby Armstrong is the answer for the new Saturday Night Hockey show, we wonder: What is the question? … Larry Tanenbaum was given a grand farewell by NBA commissioner Adam Silver after years of serving as the chairman of its board … For the record, I don’t believe a word Kawhi Leonard says. Why should any of us? And for the record, that doesn’t matter if Leonard goes out and plays the kind of basketball he’s capable of with the Raptors … The Philadelphia Phillies are 76-50 since Don Mattingly took over as manager, which is a 97-win pace. And still, there’s no assurance Mattingly will be back managing the Phillies next season.

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Former National Hockey League head coach Barry Melrose. Photo by Doug Benc /Getty Images

AND ANOTHER THING

Almost the minute Barry Melrose passed away, those in the business insisted that he was a sure-thing Hall of Famer. American media giants such as Dan Patrick, Dan LeBatard, Mike Wilbon, Tony Kornheiser — all of them non-hockey people — said so, not understanding the inane rules of the NHL Broadcasters’ Association. The rules for Hockey Hall of Fame eligibility are welcome only to play-by-play men and colour commentators. That means Melrose, Don Cherry and hosts such as James Duthie and Dave Hodge aren’t eligible. That has looked bad on both the Hall and the broadcasters’ association for years. It looks worse now and hopefully the push from Melrose supporters will get the rule changed … I thought of this upon the retirement of hockey enforcer Ryan Reaves: Why isn’t his father, Willard Reaves, in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame? Yes, the senior Reaves played just five CFL seasons, but in each one he averaged 1,425 total yards rushing and receiving for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He scored 53 touchdowns. Argos great Terry Greer played just six CFL seasons and averaged 1,167 yards per year. In all, he scored 49 touchdowns. If Greer is in the Hall, and he should be, so should Reaves … Ridiculous that B.C. defensive back John Hagerty got only a two-game suspension for the punches to the groin thrown during a game against the Montreal Alouettes. Minimum, he should have gotten the rest of the season. And maybe more than that … It was fabulous that Barenaked Ladies got to sing O Canada in Buffalo for the Bills’ spectacular home opener. What wasn’t fabulous: Their sound. Boy, do they miss Steven Page … There was never a Canadian fighter like George Chuvalo. He fought in nine of Canada’s 10 provinces. He fought more than 30 times in Toronto, six times in Montreal, four times in Regina. He fought in Windsor and London; Glace Bay, Saint John and Edmonton; Penticton, Vancouver, Lethbridge and Winnipeg. Nobody did that before Chuvalo. No one will ever do that again … This is for you George and for you, Andy Donato, with love and with thanks … I’m not much of a gambler, but I did think it was free money on Friday night when the Montreal Alouettes were 5.5-point favourites over the Hamilton Tiger Cats. The final score looks close: The Als won 37-25. But Montreal led 34-9 in the fourth quarter. That was easy money … Happy birthday to John Tavares (36), Sergei Bobrovsky (38), George Springer (37), Wynton McManis (32), Trae Young (28), Jason Bay (48), Ken Rosenthal (64), Simon Benoit (28), Greg (The Hammer) Valentine (75) and Don Beaupre (65) … And hey, whatever became of Rajai Davis?

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Steve Simmons is Canada’s longest-serving sports columnist

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