New Season, New Daulton Varsho for the Blue Jays

It is to no one's surprise that the trade involving sending top catching prospect Gabriel Moreno and outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to the Diamondbacks for Daulton Varsho turned some heads when announced. Gurriel was a fan favorite in Toronto for his electric personality and equally electric play on the field. When the move was dropped people had some question marks. Though, Varsho was no slouch in his own right, being a reliable defensive catcher and a win above replacement (WAR) of 6.7.

Let's just say this, Varsho did not live up to his capabilities in his first season with Blue Jays. normally a contact hitter with natural power, possibly overwhelmed by the expectations and accompanying pressures, the 27-year-old seemingly veered away from his natural approach. Rather than focusing on making contact and utilizing his speed, Varsho found himself fixated on hitting home runs.

While he still was able to hit 20 HR (tying fir third on the Blue Jays) Varsho's overall performance suffered. His on-base plus slugging percentage plummeted from .745 to .674, and he recorded fewer hits and runs compared to his 2022 season. Having to give up a prospect and a solidified role player for less than stellar performance really wasn't what the Jays needed.

Things have seemed to change this off season for Varsho, the 27-year-old has had a remarkable Spring Training, having a .286 batting average with an .808 OPS over 19 spring games. This is vastly different than last spring, where he only managed to bat .196 with a .636 OPS � figures that closely mirrored his regular-season output.

The Blue Jays need Varsho to be a key piece if they are going to go on a run for the World Series. He believes that his new approach at the plate will translate to the regular season.