500 million dollar contract first year OPS .695...Guerrero Jr. contract statement "Feeling great responsibility"
Toronto's Guerrero Jr.'s contract statement video spread on the day elimination was confirmed. After the game, he said while not regretting his statement, he feels great responsibility for the team's failure.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
"They gave me money for what I have already achieved." The interview excerpt video containing these words spread on September 23, 2026 local time. This is a phrase Sportsnet translated from a Spanish-language interview into English. On the same day, Toronto's postseason elimination was confirmed.500 million dollars contract first-year performance is OPS .695.
Guerrero Jr. contract statement original text and post-game explanation
Sportsnet according to, Guerrero Jr. stood before reporters after the first game of the doubleheader on the 23rd. He said he did not regret his contract statement. However, through an interpreter, he said "I'm taking big responsibility (feeling great responsibility)," and stated that he needs to produce better results.
The original interview was carried by a Dominican Republic media outlet Noticias Telemicro reported that he suffered from lower back pain this season. He said, "It's a bad season, and I shouldn't use injuries as an excuse." The Spanish original text of the contract statement has not been confirmed.
Guerrero Jr. salary 40.2 million dollars...difference from contract average annual value of 35.71 million dollars
Toronto officially announced a 14-year extension worth 500 million dollars with Guerrero Jr. on April 9, 2025 (MLB.com). The applicable period is 2026-2039, and the average annual value of 500 million dollars divided by 14 years is approximately 35,714,286 dollars. AP reported that this contract was the third-largest nominal total in MLB history at the time of signing.
AP's counting at the time of 2026 openinghis salary was approximately 40.2 million dollarsranked 5th. Dividing the signing bonus of 325 million dollars by 14 years gives approximately 23.21 million dollars, and adding the base salary of 17 million dollars according to Spotrac gives approximately 40.21 million dollars.
| Rank | Player | Team | Salary (Dollars) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juan Soto | New York Mets | 61.9 million |
| 2 | Cody Bellinger | New York Yankees | 42.5 million |
| Tied 3 | Jack Wheeler | Philadelphia Phillies | 42 million |
| Tied 3 | Bo Bisset | New York Mets | 42 million |
| 5 | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | Toronto Blue Jays | 40.2 million |
| 6 | Aaron Judge | New York Yankees | 40 million |
Guerrero Jr. performance OPS .848→.695, home runs 23→9
| Category | Games | Batting Average | Home Runs | RBIs | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (Regular Season Final) | 156 | .292 | 23 | 84 | .848 |
| 2026 (through September 23 game local time) | 142 | .263 | 9 | 56 | OPS .695 |
According to MLB official records and Sportsnet reports, this year's performance is 142 games, .263 batting average, 9 home runs, 56 RBIs (as of September 25, 2026 00:00). Compared to last year's final record, the batting average is .029 lower and OPS is .153 lower. Home runs decreased from 23 to 9. That's 39% of last year. Since the season hasn't ended, the game count is 14 games less.
Following the contract announcement in the fall of 2025, Guerrero Jr. received the American League Championship Series MVP award. It cannot be confirmed from translation reports alone up to which point his statement "what I have already achieved" refers.
Toronto 77-82, elimination confirmed with 2-4 loss to Baltimore
Field Level Media according to, Toronto lost 2-4 to Baltimore in the first game of a doubleheader on the 23rd local time, confirming elimination. The second game was also lost 2-4, 77-82 was the result (as of September 25, 2026 00:00). There are 3 remaining regular season games.
The point of confirmation of elimination was at the end of the first game, not the second. Based on the team's game notes, the team that was 94-68 and first place in the East last year only achieved 77 wins in 159 games this year.
Related Official Sites
- Toronto Blue Jays Official Homepage — Check team schedule and official announcements
- MLB Guerrero Jr. Official Records·Profile — Look up season and career hitting records
- Toronto 2025 Official Hitting Records — Compare last year's regular season performance
- MLB Official Game Record for the Second Game of the Doubleheader — September 23 game detailed record
Featured image · reference photo · this is not a live photo from the current game in the article · photo composite · photo=Wikimedia Commons(James_G on Flickr (Original version) 佾珜 (Crop)), CC BY 2.0 · photo=Wikimedia Commons(Erik Drost), CC BY 2.0 · photo=Wikimedia Commons(james_in_to), CC BY 2.0
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