Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who arrived at Toronto Blue Jays spring training Thursday, recently sat down for a near-two-hour interview with veteran Dominican baseball commentator Yancen Pujols. Lying on a couch, his legs covered in a fuzzy blanket, Guerrero spoke candidly in Spanish about the 2025 World Series, how his 14-year contract with the Jays was finalized, his 2026 goals and more.
The Athletic translated the interview from Spanish to English. Here’s what we learned from the lengthy conversation:
Guerrero and Blue Jays never stopped working on $500 million extension
Early last spring, Guerrero stepped in front of reporters at Toronto’s player development complex in Florida and announced that he and the Jays failed to agree to an extension before his camp’s imposed spring training deadline. But, as Guerrero revealed to Pujols, the Blue Jays and his representatives actually never stopped talking after the deadline passed.
We know now that the two sides ultimately agreed to a $500 million extension that begins this season, keeping Guerrero in Toronto for 14 more years. The deal, Guerrero said, was negotiated directly between his representatives and Blue Jays ownership. The eventual agreement was reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal on April 7, 10 games into the Jays’ 2025 campaign. But the deal, Guerrero said, was actually agreed to days before word first broke.
A half hour before Guerrero took the field for an April 5 game against the New York Mets at Citi Field, Toronto’s first baseman received the phone call. He was told not to tell anyone, but couldn’t contain his smile. Infielder Andrés Giménez was the first to notice.
“Oh, it looks like you’re staying here,” Guerrero recalled Giménez saying.
Guerrero told a few members of the Jays, he said, but continued to publicly deny the extension was agreed upon until it was finalized days later.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was tougher matchup than Shohei Ohtani in World Series
The Blue Jays knew they were facing baseball’s ‘dream team’ in the 2025 World Series, Guerrero said, filled with MVPs and Cy Young Award winners. No figure in the series loomed larger than Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani. The four-time MVP started two games on the mound, reached base 18 times and drove in five runs.
Facing Ohtani as a pitcher, Guerrero said, wasn’t actually all that difficult. The greatest challenge, Guerrero said while tipping an imagined cap, was Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto. That isn’t particularly surprising, considering Yamamoto pitched 17 2/3 innings across two starts, plus a heroic Game 7 relief appearance, allowing just two runs. He ultimately won the World Series MVP award.
“Yamamoto was the real deal,” Guerrero said. “That guy did not go past your knees, and he threw strikes to everyone.”
Guerrero has grown closer with his Hall-of-Fame father
Vladimir Guerrero Sr., with a nametag on his chest, stood by and watched his son take batting practice before his son’s MLB debut in 2019. Guerrero Sr. walked across the turf, with the smile of a proud father plastered on his face. But, Guerrero Jr. said, the pair’s relationship has changed over the years.
“I used to confuse fear with respect,” Guerrero Jr. said.
When Guerrero Jr. lived in Tampa over the winter after the 2023 season, the first baseman said he started talking more with his father, texting him each morning and chatting together on the phone. Now, Guerrero Jr. said, his first message when he wakes up in the morning is to his Hall-of-Fame father.
Guerrero aiming for homers in 2026
Guerrero, who finished 25th in qualified walk-rate last year (11.9 percent), said Juan Soto is helping him get that number even higher. Soto (17.8 percent) was second in baseball behind Aaron Judge in the metric. But, Guerrero said, elite plate vision is really something players are just born with.
His main goal for 2026, though, is to hit more homers. Guerrero launched 23 balls over the fence during the regular season last year, his fewest in a 162-game season since his rookie campaign. In the postseason, though, Guerrero hit eight homers in just 18 games (a 72-homer pace against some of the best pitching in the sport).
“My swing’s not going to change,” Guerrero said. “It’s just about hitting the ball farther. Instead of hitting line drives, a little more (loft). But nothing’s changed.”