Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ended his home run drought at the Rogers Centre on September 13, 2026, hitting his first home run at his home ballpark during the 150th game of the season, according to reporting by Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.
Rogers Centre Drought Comes to a Close
Guerrero connected for a mammoth blast against the Baltimore Orioles, watching the ball travel before taking a step out of the batter’s box, as reported by MLB.com. Prior to that September afternoon, Guerrero had played 67 home games without clearing the fence at Rogers Centre. Entering the matchup, all eight of his home runs on the 2026 season had come on the road across 67 away games.
Had Guerrero failed to hit a home run in Toronto all season, he would have completed a full home slate without a single long ball at his home stadium. With only six games remaining after the contest against Baltimore—including series against the Detroit Tigers and the Cincinnati Reds—the window to clear the hurdle was rapidly closing.
Offensive Struggles in the 2026 Season
The milestone moment arrives during a difficult offensive campaign for the former star slugger. That OPS mark represents the lowest of his major league career, falling well below his historical baseline where his lowest previous full-season OPS sat at .772.
The Blue Jays entered the September 13 game against Baltimore positioned 1.0 game behind the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Wild Card race, fighting to secure a postseason berth following a narrow miss in the World Series hunt a year prior.
Wild Card Race Context
With the home run drought officially in the past, attention shifts entirely to the final stretch of the regular season schedule. The Blue Jays face a demanding closing sequence as they battle the Guardians and other contenders for positioning in the tightly contested AL Wild Card standings.
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