Resurgent Daulton Varsho could be the solution to Blue Jays' offensive woes

The Toronto Blue Jays’ offensive struggles in 2026 have been well documented. Injuries and underperformance from key players have left this unit looking like a shell of the powerful lineup that represented the American League in the World Series last fall. 

Daulton Varsho got off to a slow start this season, like many of his teammates, but has come alive in recent weeks—and not a moment too soon. One of his signature hot streaks could be exactly what the Blue Jays need to survive until they get reinforcements. 

Varsho’s overall slash line of .261/.335/.431 doesn’t tell the full story. He’s posted an .850 OPS since the calendar flipped to May, with six of his 17 hits going for extra bases. He’s never been a high-on-base guy, yet has already drawn a half-dozen walks this month.

Most important is that he’s delivering in big spots. Varsho’s walk-off grand slam on Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Rays helped the Blue Jays avoid a second consecutive sweep at the hands of their AL East division rival, while his go-ahead single in the 10th inning of Saturday’s win over the Detroit Tigers propelled them to a much-needed victory.

Varsho looks capable of carrying this struggling Blue Jays lineup

Expectations for Varsho were high coming into this season after he slugged 20 home runs in just 71 games in 2025. Excitement continued to build as he picked up right where he left off in spring training, going deep five times with a 1.246 OPS. 

Then, for whatever reason, Varsho jogged out of the gate rather than hitting the ground running. He finished the month with a respectable .788 OPS and four home runs, yet never looked like a true game-changer at the plate or in the field. Some understandably wondered if he was perhaps feeling the weight of his impending free agency. 

Those doubts have since been quieted; Varsho is rediscovering his stroke at the perfect time and providing the kind of production this Blue Jays lineup has sorely lacked. Interestingly, things look a bit different for Varsho under the hood. He’s not swinging the bat as fast on average this season or barreling the ball as often. His average exit velocity has fallen, with the tradeoff being a dramatic reduction in his strikeout rate. 

The distribution of his batted balls is also noteworthy. His fly-ball rate has fallen dramatically from a career-high 54.7% last year to just 38.8%, while his line drive rate has risen substantially to 24.8%. He’s hitting the ball up the middle more than he ever has as a Blue Jay. 

Varsho is clearly making a deliberate effort to be a more well-rounded hitter rather than a feast-or-famine home run threat. Whether that’s a wise choice is debatable, but he is nonetheless looking more comfortable in this new approach after a brief adjustment period—and that’s good news for the Blue Jays. 

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