Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Bio
Vladimir Guerrero Ramos is a Dominican-Canadian professional baseball first baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2019 and has quickly established himself as one of the premier hitters in the game. Over his career, Guerrero has earned multiple All-Star selections and led the league in home runs in 2021, showcasing his exceptional power and batting skills.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the son of Baseball Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr., reflecting a rich family history in baseball. He bats and throws right-handed and is widely regarded as one of the faces of the modern Toronto Blue Jays franchise. By 2025, Guerrero had become the centerpiece of a Blue Jays team that returned to the World Series for the first time since 1993.
Early Life and Background
Vladimir Guerrero Ramos was born on March 16, 1999, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, during his father’s tenure with the Montreal Expos. His Canadian birthplace granted him Canadian citizenship, while his Dominican roots through his mother, Riquelma Ramos, gave him dual heritage. After his parents separated when he was very young, he moved with his mother to Santiago in the Dominican Republic.
Throughout his childhood, Guerrero split his time living with his mother in Santiago, with his uncle Wilton Guerrero in Don Gregorio, and spent summers with his father in the United States. Wilton Guerrero, a former MLB player himself, introduced young Vladimir to baseball and played a crucial role in his development in the sport. Guerrero has credited Wilton for teaching him the fundamentals of baseball and guiding his practice from a young age, stating that he has been practicing with him since age five.
In 2003, during his father’s final game for the Expos at Olympic Stadium, four-year-old Vladimir joined his father on the field in an Expos uniform. His father instructed him to remove his helmet and wave to the crowd, creating a moment that has been widely recognized as an iconic photograph in Montreal baseball history. That early exposure to big league environments helped shape his understanding of the game.
Path to Baseball
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. entered the professional ranks in 2015 when Baseball America ranked him as the top international free agent. He signed with the Toronto Blue Jays on July 2, 2015, for $3.9 million at age 16. He was assigned to extended spring training camp to open the 2016 minor league season before making his professional debut with the Rookie Advanced Bluefield Blue Jays on June 23, 2016.
Guerrero hit his first professional home run on June 24, 2016, a two-run shot against the Bristol Pirates, and later recorded his first multi-home run game against the Pulaski Yankees. He played in 62 games that year, hitting .271 with eight home runs, 46 runs batted in (RBI), and 15 stolen bases. He opened the 2017 season with the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts, was named a Midwest League All-Star, played in the All-Star Futures Game, and finished the year with a .323 batting average, 13 home runs, and 76 RBIs across Lansing and Dunedin.
Entering 2018, Guerrero was considered the top prospect in the Blue Jays organization. He began the season with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats and was named the Eastern League’s Player of the Month after hitting .438 with nine home runs and 28 RBIs in May. He finished the year with a .381 batting average, 20 home runs, and 78 RBIs across New Hampshire and Buffalo, earning Minor League Player of the Year honors from both Baseball America and USA Today.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Career
Early Career (2019–2020)
On April 24, 2019, the Toronto Blue Jays announced that Guerrero would be called up from Triple-A Buffalo Bisons on April 26. He was considered the top prospect in all of professional baseball prior to being called up and was hitting .367/.424/.700 with three home runs during an eight-game stint with the Bisons. He went hitless in his first three at-bats before hitting a double in his fourth at-bat against the Oakland Athletics.
On May 14, 2019, against the San Francisco Giants in Oracle Park, Guerrero hit his first MLB home run off Nick Vincent, becoming the youngest Blue Jay to hit a home run at 20 years and 59 days old. He went on to hit four home runs over a six-game road trip and was named the American League Player of the Week. In 2019, Guerrero batted .272/.339/.433 with 15 home runs and 69 RBIs, while leading the majors in average exit velocity. In the shortened 2020 season, he played all 60 games and batted .262 with nine home runs and 33 RBIs after shifting primarily to first base.
Toronto Blue Jays Breakthrough (2021–2023)
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. opened the 2021 season at a substantially lower weight after losing 42 pounds. On April 27, 2021, he had his first career three-homer game against the Washington Nationals, including a grand slam off Max Scherzer, finishing with seven RBIs. He was named the starting first baseman for the American League in the All-Star Game, where he hit the 200th home run in All-Star Game history and became the youngest player to win the All-Star Game MVP award at age 22.
Guerrero finished the 2021 season batting .311/.401/.601, tying for the MLB lead in home runs with 48, leading the majors in runs scored with 123, and leading in total bases with 363. He won the American League Hank Aaron Award and the Tip O’Neill Award, and finished second in American League MVP voting behind Shohei Ohtani. In 2022, he signed a $7.9 million contract with the Blue Jays and won the American League Gold Glove Award at first base. In 2023, he won the MLB Home Run Derby in Seattle with a final-round record of 25 home runs, becoming part of the first father-son duo to win the Derby.
Toronto Blue Jays Era (2024–Present)
Guerrero’s salary for the 2024 season was set at $19.9 million through salary arbitration, a Blue Jays record. He finished the 2024 season batting .323/.396/.544 with 30 home runs and 103 RBIs. On January 9, 2025, Guerrero and the Blue Jays avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $28.5 million salary, the third-highest salary paid to an arbitration-eligible player in league history. On April 9, 2025, he signed a 14-year, $500 million contract extension with the Blue Jays.
On July 2, 2025, Guerrero was named an All-Star for the fifth consecutive year. On July 11, 2025, he recorded his 1,000th career hit against the Athletics, becoming the 10th player to reach this milestone as a Blue Jay and the youngest to do so. He finished the 2025 regular season batting .292/.381/.467 with 23 home runs and 84 RBIs.
In the 2025 postseason, Guerrero hit a first-inning home run in Game 1 and later hit his first playoff grand slam in Game 2 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees, marking the first playoff grand slam in Blue Jays history. During the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners, he hit three home runs with a .385 batting average and a 1.330 OPS, earning ALCS MVP honors as the Blue Jays clinched their first American League championship since 1993. In the World Series, he batted .333 with two home runs and three RBI, though the Blue Jays ultimately lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.
Driving Style and Strengths
Guerrero’s exceptional hitting ability has long been graded an 80, the highest possible mark on baseball’s 20-to-80 scouting scale. His raw power is regularly rated a 70, indicating a plus-plus tool in the scouting industry. Defensively, scouts once questioned whether he could stay at third base, but he has developed into a Gold Glove-caliber first baseman, combining soft hands with steady footwork around the bag.
Notable Events and Milestones
In 2025, Guerrero and his father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., became the only father-son duo in MLB history to both hit grand slams in postseason play. He also joined his father as the second father-son duo to each have a 40-home run season, having reached the mark in 2021. His record-setting 91 home runs in the 2019 Home Run Derby and his 2023 Derby title further cemented his place in the event’s history.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Career Wins
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has compiled one of the most decorated résumés of any young hitter of his generation. He has earned five All-Star selections, three All-MLB First Team honors, two Silver Slugger Awards, one Gold Glove Award, and the American League Hank Aaron Award. He is also a former MLB home run leader and 2025 ALCS MVP.
Toronto Blue Jays Highlights
In his first MLB at-bat in 2019, Guerrero immediately showed his trademark plate discipline and exit velocity, going on to record his first MLB home run at Oracle Park on May 14, 2019. His most recent milestone came on July 11, 2025, when he notched his 1,000th career hit against the Athletics, becoming the youngest player in Blue Jays history to reach that mark.
Other Wins and Performances
Guerrero won the 2023 MLB Home Run Derby in Seattle with a final-round record of 25 home runs, defeating Randy Arozarena. He became part of the first father-son duo to win the Derby, joining his father who won the contest in 2007. On January 30, 2024, he was announced as the cover athlete for MLB The Show 24, joining his father as the first father-son duo to be featured on the cover of an MLB The Show video game.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. comes from a family with strong connections to baseball. He is the son of Baseball Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr. and the nephew of former MLB player Wilton Guerrero. His godfather is Baseball Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez, a former teammate of his father with the Montreal Expos. His older cousin, Gabriel Guerrero, has also played in the MLB for the Cincinnati Reds.
Personal Life
Guerrero has at least seven siblings, two of whom have signed professional contracts with MLB teams. His younger brother Pablo Guerrero signed with the Texas Rangers as an international free agent on January 15, 2023, while his younger half-brother Vladi Miguel Guerrero signed with the New York Mets as an international free agent on January 15, 2024. Guerrero communicates in English with his Blue Jays teammates and team staff and is a devout Christian.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s seventh year in the major leagues and his most decorated campaign to date. He opened the year by signing a 14-year, $500 million contract extension with the Toronto Blue Jays on April 9, setting a new benchmark for the franchise. He was named an All-Star for the fifth consecutive season and recorded his 1,000th career hit on July 11 against the Athletics, becoming the youngest Blue Jay to reach that milestone.
Guerrero finished the 2025 regular season batting .292/.381/.467 with 23 home runs and 84 RBIs, providing steady run production as the Blue Jays secured a postseason berth. His veteran presence in the middle of the lineup anchored a young Toronto offense and helped the team navigate a competitive American League East. The pairing of Guerrero with a revamped supporting cast fueled the Blue Jays’ push through the regular season.
In the postseason, Guerrero elevated his game to historic levels. He hit a first-inning home run in Game 1 and a grand slam in Game 2 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees, marking the first playoff grand slam in Blue Jays history. Across the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners, he hit three home runs with a .385 batting average and a 1.330 OPS, earning ALCS MVP honors as Toronto clinched its first American League pennant since 1993. Although the Blue Jays ultimately fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, Guerrero batted .333 with two home runs and three RBI in the Fall Classic, capping the most successful season of his career.