After a season filled with more lowlights than highlights from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins shared his thoughts on what may have made 2026 a year to forget for the six-time All-Star.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Atkins said he believed a slow start set the tone for what would be a lackluster season from the 27-year-old Guerrero.

Guerrero, in the first year of a 14-year, $500 million contract extension, started the year strong, posting a .907 OPS through his first 130 plate appearances. However, once May hit, the troubles for Guerrero began, with his OPS plummeting to .623 that month in 115 plate appearances.

Things would get even worse in June, with Guerrero's OPS dipping to .498 with his home run total at four through the first full three months of the season.

Atkins' comments about in-game and in-season adjustments becoming "difficult" is striking, especially with Guerrero facing heat at the end of the season for comments he made about his new deal. His thoughts on the money being paid for what he had done not in the present but in the past struck an awkward chord with fans as the Blue Jays were eliminated from postseason contention in the final week of the season.

Now the Blue Jays face an offseason filled with questions about the direction of the franchise, just one season after Toronto came agonizingly close to winning the World Series. 

Many of those questions will revolve around Guerrero and how he will bounce back from a year when his nine home runs, .260 batting average and .688 OPS were all career-lows for a 162-game season.

While there is no reason to believe that Guerrero won't bounce back next season, it's clear that another slow start to the year could push panic buttons within the organization as the Blue Jays would not only worry about Guerrero on the field, but also how he is handling the adversity and pressure of living up to his contract as well.