Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho has put on a show in the outfield in back-to-back seasons. But despite being the Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) leader last season with 29, he was robbed of a Gold Glove. This season, he has continued to showcase that he’s the best outfielder in baseball. With the superb catches that he’s made, his hard work should be recognized with a Gold Glove Award. Fans tend to be critical of him with his offense as they know what he is capable of. But it’s difficult to harp on a player with such incredible defense. A player that comes out and puts in 110 percent work should never go unnoticed.
Daulton Varsho this season:
— 1st in DRS in LF
— 1st in OAA in LF
— 1nd in DRS as OF
— 2nd in OAA as OFBest outfielder in the league. pic.twitter.com/3s48cQPab7
— BlueJays Muse (@BlueJays_Muse) August 20, 2024
Daulton Varsho a Strong Outfield Contender for Gold Glove
The Varshow
Only ONE player in baseball makes this catch.
DAULTON. VARSHO. pic.twitter.com/84K0DseH6A
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 6, 2024
This season, Varsho is the DRS leader in left field. In addition, first in Outs Above Average (OAA), first in DRS as an outfielder, and second in OAA as an outfielder. You could say he is the John McDonald of this Blue Jays outfield. While his offense has mostly been average, he has been more successful at the plate recently. He has recorded a home run, a double, a triple, and five RBI in his last five games. In addition, he ranks sixth in MLB with seven triples, one ahead of Shohei Ohtani. He also has two grand slams this season. Despite his .212 batting average, he’s had many offensive highlights that have been memorable. But with his defense, he deserves an A if he were to be graded.
He made an out-of-this-world catch on July 5th against the Seattle Mariners. The distance he ran to catch the ball while colliding into the wall and still making the catch was unbelievable. Teammate Chris Bassitt has continued to vouch for Varsho with his defense this season and last. On August 6th, against the Baltimore Orioles, Varsho covered 108 feet to steal a hit against Gunnar Henderson. Not many outfielders can cover the same range as Varsho. He makes it look effortless, and even manager John Schneider believes he is the best outfielder in baseball. Varsho has also demonstrated his speed with 10 stolen bases this season.
Defense Strikes Again
This season, Varsho’s elite defense and solid base running make up for his up-and-down offense. Another Blue Jay player reminiscent of Varsho is former Blue Jay Kevin Pillar. Both have made Superman-level catches in the outfield. We’ve continued to see Varsho hustle and bring intensity to games. Covering so much ground to catch a ball is not easy. In addition, Varsho has done it without getting injured, showing how resilient he is. Even when Varsho wasn’t on the Blue Jays, his defensive caliber was still solid.
When it comes to discussing the top Blue Jays defenders, most of the time, Varsho’s name is the one that comes up. This has made his value go up despite his offensive inconsistencies. When an outfielder is able to help out his pitcher and keep them in a game, the pitchers often show respect afterward. We’ve witnessed this numerous times this season in Varsho’s case, when a Blue Jays pitcher has cheered in excitement when he has taken a hit or run away from an opposing team.
Photo Credit: © Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
