Toronto Blue Jay Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said he got over the heartbreak of last season's World Series loss quickly.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
Late on the night of Nov. 1, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sat in the dugout at Rogers Centre and watched as the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their Game 7 victory in the World Series.
He was the last Blue Jays player to leave the field, but before he did he said a prayer, thanking God for the blessing of a wonderful season.
Then he joined teammates, some of whom wept, in the dressing room and tried to console them. But that was just about the last time he gave a thought to the crushing defeat.
“When I left I turned the page, right then,” Guerrero said on Monday. The day marked Toronto’s first full squad workout at its massive training development centre tucked into a quiet little neighbourhood in Dunedin, Fla.
Seventy players were on hand to jump start the club’s 50th anniversary season. More than half are non-roster players – prospects and veterans clinging to one last chance – and other than perhaps one or two, the rest will spend 2026 in the minors or be out of baseball.
Opening days of Blue Jays’ spring training full of good vibes
Fans were there to greet their heroes, and some players tossed balls to kids when they called their names. Others visited the penned-off area where they were gathered and signed autographs and obliged when asked for a selfie.
Kazuma Okamoto, the new third baseman from Japan, waded through the crowd minutes after smashing a monstrous home run to left field during batting practice. He signed for as many people as he could, including one fellow who arrived carrying a new No. 7 Okamoto jersey.
This was a lovefest for a team that came so close to winning it all in 2025. The “what have you done for me lately?” won’t come until the regular season begins in late March.
As spring training grinds on, things get serious. On full squad day the atmosphere is light.
From left to right: George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and manager John Schneider enjoyed the first day of having a full roster at spring training in Dunedin, Fla.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
George Springer took his first spring swings in live batting practice against the submariner Tyler Rogers, who throws pitches barely fast enough to break a window, but they avoid bats with remarkable frequency.
Upon fouling one off, Springer declared it a victory.
“Hey, I hit one,” he said, half joking and half surprised.
Toronto won the American League East Division last season for the first time in 10 years, and the American League championship for the first time in more than three decades. If it had held on to win the World Series it would have been the franchise’s first in 32 years.
There were no expectations for the team at this time last year, but now there are.
“We are not shying away from last year and we remember what we did, but we are not defending the AL East or American League title. We are attacking 2026,” manager John Schneider said on Monday. “We are going to attack this year and not rest on anything we did last.”
The longest-tenured Blue Jay, Guerrero is the face of the franchise and its best player. He is still just 26 and is entering his eighth season but it seems like much longer.
Guerrero said on Monday that he'll take on all of the pressure and responsibility that comes with being the team's top-paid player.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
In April of 2025 he signed a US$500-million, 14-year contract extension. Instead of being weighed down by that, all he did was lead Toronto to an extended run through the regular season and playoffs.
He still has a baby face but he has matured.
“He’s a little more vocal and a little more loose than I have ever seen him,” Schneider said on Monday. “He knows he is one of the best players in the game and understands how good he is.
“He is in a good mindset to pick up where he left off last season. In my opinion, Vladdy has always been the ‘guy’ here. It has been that way for a long time and it will continue.”
Guerrero said he misses his friend and former teammate Bo Bichette, who signed with the Mets during the off-season.
“It’s difficult not having him around,” Guerrero said through team interpreter Hector (Tito) Lebron. “I mean, we spent 10 years together. But like me he has a family and wants to do better for them. I understand.”
He said he doesn’t see himself so much as a team leader but a good teammate.
“The more pressure you throw my way, the better I feel,” he said. “The more you advance, the more confident you get during the playoffs.”