Toronto Blue Jays star Guerrero Jr. open to play for Canada one day
Ever since his MLB debut in 2019, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has had the Toronto Blue Jays fan base across the country fall in love with his unique skillset.
One of the hardest hitters of a baseball the MLB has ever seen, the son of the Baseball Hall of Famer by the same name, has undoubtedly become the most popular baseball player in the country.
And due to his Montreal birthplace, where his father played for the Expos, he has twice been picked up the Tip O’Neill Award as the top Canadian baseball player.
But while Guerrero Jr. is a dual citizen of both Canada and the Dominican Republic, he’s always identified more with the latter due to growing up there and his ancestral history.
In an interview with TheScore’s Tom Ruminski published on Tuesday, Guerrero Jr. reiterated his plans to represent the Dominican Republic at the World Baseball Classic in 2026, though he didn’t close the door to potentially representing Canada in the future.
“I was born in Canada, but I grew up in the Dominican Republic. My dad never went to a World Baseball Classic. He told me as a kid that I should represent the Dominican if I ever got a chance to do it,” Guerrero replied to Ruminski. “I grew up with that. So, I think I will play with the Dominicans, but maybe if I’m not retired, I will play with Canada one day.”
Guerrero Jr. withdrew from the Dominican roster in the 2023 edition of the event due to knee inflammation. He has never formally represented the country in the tournament.
“When the country gives you love, you gotta give the love back,” Guerrero Jr. said of Canada after signing his 14-year contract with the Blue Jays earlier this year. “This is my second [home]… I’ve spent a lot of time here in Toronto.”
With baseball’s international tournaments having less of a history than other sports like soccer or basketball — the World Baseball Classic has only been around in 2006 — it is unclear whether the rules would actually allow Guerrero Jr. to play for more than one country, or if he would be bound to only representing the Dominican Republic.
Baseball has also been a consistent Olympic sport, though it was absent from the 2012, 2016, and 2024 Games. It is expected to be at the Los Angeles Games in 2028, with various governing bodies also making a push for it to be at the 2032 Games in Brisbane, Australia.
- You might also like:
- Toronto Blue Jays spoke to Red Sox about blockbuster trade: report