Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is not going to Philadelphia. The Toronto Blue Jays slugger was named an American League starter for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, but he has turned down the invitation to focus on getting himself and the Blue Jays right in the second half.
“It’s very difficult for me,” Guerrero told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi. “But I really have to take care of myself and I’ve got to put my team first for the second half.”
That answer is probably closer to the truth than anyone in Toronto wants to admit. Guerrero has not been himself at the plate this year. Through 84 games, he is hitting .265/.346/.346 with a .692 OPS. He has just four home runs and 17 RBIs, numbers that look more like a bench bat than a franchise cornerstone. For a hitter who has established himself as one of the best pure sluggers in the American League, the drop-off is stark.
The Blue Jays have suffered right along with him. Toronto sits 12 games back in the American League East with a 42-47 record after getting beat 11-0 by the Seattle Mariners on Saturday. This was supposed to be a legitimate contender, the reigning AL champion, running it back with essentially the same core. Instead, Toronto is at risk of falling out of the wild card race entirely if the second half does not turn around fast.
Skipping the All-Star Game is a small thing on the surface. It becomes a bigger story when you consider what it says about Guerrero’s own read of his season. He is a six time All-Star. He has always leaned into the marquee moments. Passing on the trip to Citizens Bank Park is not the move of a hitter who feels good about where his swing is.
The best thing Toronto can do with the break is reset. Guerrero can get four extra days of work with hitting coach Don Mattingly instead of a red eye flight and a Home Run Derby appearance. He can look at video, tinker with his stance, and try to remember what it feels like to hit the ball hard. That is a better use of his week than posing for photos.
The Blue Jays also have real questions to answer at the deadline. Are they buyers, sellers, or the worst option of all, standing still? At 12 games back with 73 games to play, buying is a stretch. Selling would mean admitting the run of contention is over. Standing still would waste more of the prime years of a core that already looks aged.
Guerrero is not the only Blue Jay struggling, but he is the one whose numbers matter most. Toronto goes as he goes. If he uses this break to find something in his swing, the second half can still be salvaged. If he does not, the trade deadline is going to be uncomfortable for everyone in the front office.
The choice to skip Philadelphia is a self-aware move. Guerrero knows he needs to fix his season, and he does not want the distraction of an exhibition game while he does it. That is professional. It is also a reminder that even six-time All-Stars have seasons they want to forget, and this one is heading in that direction unless something changes soon.
Aroldis Chapman and Ranger Suarez both made the roster and will represent the American League. Toronto will still send its share of talent to the Midsummer Classic. Just not the guy whose bat matters most, and that fact says everything about where the Blue Jays sit at the halfway mark.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
