Surprising Slugger Has Been Team MVP for Blue Jays Despite Missing Time
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The inconsistent season for the Toronto Blue Jays has continued with the team hovering around the .500 mark.
Due to the success of the New York Yankees in the American League East, another team outside of them winning the division seems unlikely at this point.
For the Blue Jays, they were hopeful that they would be a contender in the division this year after a strong winter. Unfortunately, some of their signings in the offseason they had high hopes for have yet to pan out, resulting in some of their struggles, especially on offense.
Even though they haven’t played great, the AL Wild Card figures to be wide open.
This could be the most realistic path to the postseason for the team, but they could also end up being sellers depending on how the next couple of months go.
While the team has struggled compared to expectations so far, they have had some bright spots.
Who Has Been the Team MVP So Far?
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently wrote about an unlikely player being the team MVP for the Blue Jays in the early going with outfielder Daulton Varsho taking home the honors.
“After missing the first month of the season, he hit his eighth home run on Monday, moving into sole possession of first place on the team in what was just his 19th start of the season.”
Coming into the campaign, the team MVP would have figured to be Vladimir Guerrero Jr. since he's their best player. However, while he has played better after a bit of a slow start, he hasn’t exactly been the superstar that Toronto is paying him to be.
The All-Star first baseman has been heating up in May, but it has been the talented center fielder for the Blue Jays who has impressed the most.
Despite missing time because of injury, Varsho has slashed .198/.226/.547 with eight home runs and 20 RBI in 22 games played. While he has been a bit of a home run or bust at the plate, Toronto will certainly take his run production with his elite ability to play the outfield.
With him back in the mix, the hope is the Blue Jays can turn things around and reach the potential they appear to have on paper.
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Nick Ziegler is an alumnus of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. He has been working in sports media covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL for nearly a decade with various publications online. With his free time, Nick enjoys being at the Jersey Shore with his wife, daughter, and their golden retriever. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NickZiegler20.