The $500m slugger who is taking Canada to the World Series

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr wants fans to have no doubt: He was “born ready”.

The Canadian-born, Dominican Republic-raised slugger who just signed a $500m (£374m) contract – the third largest in Major League Baseball (MLB) history – is widely viewed as the team’s best player and a key reason why Toronto is finally headed to the World Series for the first time in 32 years.

In many ways, his life had led up to this very moment. His father, baseball Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr, spent the bulk of his career playing for the now-defunct Montreal Expos, but a World Series title always eluded him.

His son, who was born in Montreal, is now vowing to bring the championship ring home and give it to his father.

“My personal goal is to win a World Series and give the ring to my dad,” the younger Guerrero said in an interview with Tom Verducci of Fox Sports and Sports Illustrated.

Guerrero has played a massive role in Toronto’s postseason success, and was crowned Most Valuable Player in the division series leading up to the championship.

Now, the Toronto Blue Jays are set to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday, in what promises to be a storybook match-up between the defending champions and the underdogs.

Both teams are anchored by two of the most exciting talents in modern baseball. For Los Angeles, that’s Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese superstar whose record-breaking $700m deal made headlines around the world, and who is hailed for being elite both as a pitcher and a hitter.

For Toronto, it’s Guerrero Jr – affectionately nicknamed Vladdy Jr among fans – who made his own headlines earlier this year in April after signing the astonishing 14-year, multi-million deal with Toronto.

That deal was newsworthy not only for its size, but also for what it symbolised. Guerrero Jr, whose baseball career was closely-watched since he was a three-year-old warming up with his father and the Expos, effectively committed the rest of his playing life to Canada’s sole MLB team.

At the time, Guerrero Jr said he felt “fortunate to carry my dad’s legacy and represent an entire country,” and vowed to bring the World Series championship back to Canada.

Before April, that promise felt like a long shot. The Blue Jays finished the 2024 season at the bottom of their division, and this year’s start was tinged with uncertainty over whether Toronto had what it takes — financially and culturally — to keep a superstar like Guerrero Jr.

“Toronto is known for not signing big, free agents because they don’t want to play here,” preferring more lucrative hubs like New York or Los Angeles, said Liz McGuire, a life-long Blue Jays fan who hosts a podcast called Jay Bird Watching.

The Canadian city had been burned before. In 2017, fan-favourite Jose Bautista was lured away by the promise of bigger money.

In 2023, Toronto went into a frenzy over a rumour that Ohtani was going to sign with the Blue Jays. Fans obsessively tracked a private jet flying from Orange County to Toronto in hopes of catching a glimpse of his arrival to the city.

But when the plane’s doors opened, it was Canadian businessman and television personality Robert Herjavec who stepped out instead. The next day, Ohtani announced he had signed a 10-year contract with the Dodgers in sunny Los Angeles. Hearts sank across Toronto.

But the Blue Jays still had Guerrero Jr, who had been playing with them since he was just 16 years old.

“He was hitting dingers as a kid,” recalled Ms McGuire, using the slang term for a home run. When she learned the team had signed him to a 14-year contract, she celebrated by spending $2,500 on a game-used bat signed by him.

Guerrero Jr has earned his eye-watering salary not just on the field, but by being “incredibly likeable,” said Rob Silver, an Expos-turned-Blue Jays fan who lives in Ottawa, and who hosts a baseball podcast called Launch Angle.

“The fact that he’s a big kid who happens to be this unworldly superstar and future Hall of Famer, and he chose us, that’s everything.”

Fans are quick to point out Guerrero Jr’s sportsmanship and his dedication to Toronto on and off the diamond. During Game 5 against the Seattle Mariners, he rushed to the field to help his teammate, outfielder George Springer, limp to the bench after getting hit in the kneecap with a ball. Springer would go on to score the winning three-run home run in Game 7.

Off the field, Guerrero Jr appears humble. He lives with his grandmother, and he even incorporated her traditional Dominican dishes into his trainer’s diet plan. In recent years, the native Spanish speaker has begun giving more interviews in English to connect with Canadian fans.

And in what may be the biggest sign of his complete embrace of the city, Guerrero Jr donned an Auston Matthews Toronto Maple Leafs jersey ahead of the Game 7 match-up against Seattle – ignoring any warnings of alleged curses (the hockey team has famously failed to make it to the Stanley Cup year after year).

It was a cheeky nod to Canada’s most popular sport. While baseball – known colloquially as “America’s pastime” – does not hold the same place in Canadians’ national identity as ice hockey, the Jays win has become a rallying moment for the whole country.

In Toronto, hundreds flooded the streets, climbing poles, playing bagpipes and waving Canadian flags as they broke into impromptu renditions of the national anthem. In Calgary, a hockey game was briefly interrupted to announce the Blue Jays’ victory. In New Brunswick, a local church put up a sign that read: “Thank you God for your love and for George Springer!”

The Blue Jays are getting support from Americans, too. Cole Greenhouse, a Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy originally from Missouri, said he typically cheers for the St Louis Cardinals. This World Series, however, he is backing Toronto.

His first baseball hat at age 11 was a Blue Jays one, he recalled. On Tuesday, he wore a similar cap “so everybody can see” his support.

Nichole Perry, a Chicago Cubs fan who lives in Phoenix, Arizona, said that she, too, is backing the Blue Jays. Ms Perry said she and other baseball fans are fatigued with the Dodgers’ seemingly unlimited budget and “super team,” and that it is heartwarming to see how much Canada has embraced the sport she loves.

The win was also felt in Guerrero Jr’s hometown of Don Gregorio in the Dominican Republic, with videos circulating online showing fans celebrating the team.

Many acknowledge that the Los Angeles Dodgers are a tough squad to beat. But plenty of fans still believe the Blue Jays could win it all. “The nature of baseball is unlike any sport,” noted Mr Silver. “Truly, any team could win.”

After the win against Seattle on Monday, the cameras caught Guerrero Jr fighting back tears. The internet was soon flooded with that image, paired with photos of him as a young boy standing beside his father in a Montreal Expos uniform – an emotional snapshot of a journey years in the making.

“This kid is heading to the World Series.”