Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is no longer a star “on the way to becoming one.” At 26, he’s already the centerpiece of the Toronto Blue Jays – both professionally and iconicly. And the way the team chose to honor him ahead of the 2026 season speaks volumes more than just a simple souvenir.
In their 2026 Promotions & Events calendar announcement, the Blue Jays confirmed they will release a special Guerrero Jr. bobblehead on May 25th, during the game against the Miami Marlins. But what caught fans’ attention wasn’t the 15,000 free copies. It was the chosen image.
“Born Ready.”
The bobblehead depicts Guerrero Jr. as a young boy, wearing a Montreal Expos jersey – a moment captured when he accompanied his father, the legendary Vladimir Guerrero Sr., to the basketball court. This isn’t the image of an All-Star, a Gold Glove, or a fearsome postseason hitter. It’s the image of a child… ready from a very young age.
This choice wasn’t random.
Guerrero Jr. entered MLB at a very young age and never seemed like a long-term project. Over seven seasons, he’s built a record many players only dream of achieving in their entire careers: slash line .288/.366/.495, 183 home runs, nearly 600 RBIs, five All-Stars, two Silver Sluggers, a Gold Glove. And the most recent peak: ALCS MVP 2025.
The past season has taken him to another level. A stable regular season, an explosive postseason. In 18 playoff games, Guerrero Jr. shot .397 with an OPS of 1.289, eight home runs – a franchise postseason record. Not a flash in the pan. It’s a sustained dominance at the right time, when the Blue Jays needed it most.
Bobblehead’s “Born Ready” therefore carries a very different nuance. It’s not nostalgia. It’s a reminder: what people are seeing today has been in preparation for a long time.
In the context of Toronto’s painful World Series defeat against the Dodgers, honoring Guerrero Jr. with childhood imagery carries even more weight. The Blue Jays aren’t just selling tickets. They’re reinforcing their identity. They’re telling fans that this era has a central figure – and he’s not a “flash in the pan.”
Interestingly, bobblehead didn’t choose Guerrero Jr. in his current Blue Jays kit, nor a moment of grand celebration. It chose the beginning. Perhaps because Toronto understands that Guerrero Jr.’s biggest story isn’t over yet. The 2025 World Series is just a chapter, not the end.
When the Blue Jays open their 2026 season on March 27 against the Athletics, the pressure will still be there. But for a player who was “born ready” from a young age, the pressure seems to be just part of the journey.
And on May 25, when thousands of fans hold up pictures of the young Expos, the question will naturally arise in many people’s minds: if this is only the beginning of Guerrero Jr.’s legacy, where does his true limit lie?
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