Blue Jays May Have a Breakout Bat in This Former Gold Glove Winner
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The Toronto Blue Jays have been fighting hard this spring to prepare for the regular season, looking to defend their American League pennant. One of the beautiful things about spring training is that the organization gets a sense of who's prepared and who is likely going to start the season off rough.
Luckily for Toronto, they have one of their best fielders in Daulton Varsho, who has turned several heads this spring with the bat in his hands. Varsho has been known to be a plus fielder with power and inconsistency at the plate when it comes to hitting for average, but this spring, he has done it all.
Varsho Named Potential Breakout Bat for Blue Jays
Nearly hitting .500 at the plate this spring, Varsho has been everything the Blue Jays have wanted him to be from the time he first arrived at the franchise. Smashing five home runs, driving in 14 RBIs with 19 hits in 42 at-bats this spring, plus walking more than striking out, Varsho is on a tear.
His performance this offseason has earned him the nod from MLB.com's Mike Petriello, who listed Varsho as one of seven players who could have a massive breakout season at the plate. And it all could be due to his increased bat speed at the plate.
"A huge increase in bat speed, for one, going from a 34% fast-swing rate to 56%. A change in stance, going from 2024’s more-open-than-average to 2025’s slightly closed," Petriello wrote.
"Focus on the idea that if Varsho did what he did last year over a fuller season: That’s a 40-homer bat with elite center field defense. That’s borderline MVP territory –if he shows it."
Varsho has hit 27 home runs in the past, while with the Arizona Diamondbacks, so he knows there is power in his bat. Last season, in just under 100 games (71), Varsho hit 20 home runs, which was on pace to have him be hitting with more power than Vladimir Guerrero Jr. did.
Spring numbers are hard to hone in on, but if Varsho can carry that success into the opening series against the Athletics, the Blue Jays might have a full turnaround on their hands. This is Varsho's final season under contract, and he's already making a strong case to get paid when that time comes.
If the bat does cool off, Blue Jays fans know they can still count on him being a Gold Glove candidate in center field this season, so long as he stays on the field.
Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.