Toronto Blue Jaysfirst basemanVladimir Guerrero Jr. was voted in by the fans to participate in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game. However, with the season that he’s having, and a lower back issue, Guerrero declined.
In year one of a monster 14-year, $500 million extension, the 27-year-old has not yet lived up to the value. In 86 games this season, Guerrero is slashing .263/.347/.346 for a .693 OPS. He has only four home runs and 35 RBIs.
While there is still plenty of season left, this is the worst that the first baseman has ever looked at the plate during his eight-year career. His choice to decline the All-Star invitation was lauded by fans of the Blue Jays and MLB.
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Guerrero’s performance this season is part of the reason for Toronto’s fall from grace after winning the American League pennant in 2025. They are 42-49, third place in the AL East and 11½ games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
With Guerrero stepping down from his spot at first base, a replacement was in order. Filling his spot will be Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras.
Contreras was traded to Boston from the St. Louis Cardinals this past winter for a slew of prospects. So far this season, he has been about the only Red Sox player to really hit.
In 86 games, the 34-year-old is having possibly the best season of his career. He is slashing .284/.378/.542 for a .920 OPS, a career-high. He has already crushed 20 home runs (his most in a season is 24) and has 59 RBIs.
There is no debate over who has the better numbers between Guerrero and Contreras, and now the latter will receive the nod to his fourth All-Star game. The previous three were in 2018, 2019 and 2022 with the Chicago Cubs.
While Guerrero’s Blue Jays have been ice-cold lately, Contreras’ Red Sox have been red-hot. Since June 25, they are 7-2. The streak featured a sweep of their archrival New York Yankees, as well as the Los Angeles Angels.
Toronto and Boston are neck-and-neck in the wild card race right now. The second half will be interesting to see if either can sneak into the postseason in a weak AL.
