Why this outfielder might be an under-the-radar postseason hero for the Blue Jays

Daulton Varsho has been a sparkplug in the 2025 Blue Jays lineup, plain and simple. Headed down the stretch, he's provided the Jays, who have high aspirations of a deep October run, with a massive thump in the middle of the lineup, and he's providing it at the right time.

Since coming off the injured list on Aug. 1, the Blue Jays’ center fielder has 12 homers and a .568 slugging percentage in 45 games, averaging about three home runs every 10 games... explosive dominance.

Why this outfielder might be an under-the-radar postseason hero

What's really taken a significant jump for Varsho is the raw hitting metrics, which has been the driver of his success in his shortened 2025 season. Firstly, Varsho’s average exit velocity sits at 89.8 mph, a massive improvement from his 86.1 mph in 2024, while his 16.5% barrel rate would be top 15 in the league if he had enough at-bats to qualify.

It's worth noting that in 2024, his barrel rate was sitting at 6.2%, so he's done an outstanding job of getting the bat to the ball. As a result, Varsho's hard hit rate has taken a significant leap, sitting at 41.2% compared to his 34% in 2024.

On May 13 against the Rays, he set a new career-high exit velocity of 113.9 mph with a home run off Shane Baz, surpassing the marks of Bryce Harper, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Christian Yelich.

Fans are asking where all of this improved success has derived from; it comes down to a few mechanical adjustments. Varsho has returned to his old vertical bat position, which closely replicates his stance during his Arizona days.

This tweak allows for a more natural and torque-driven load. In addition, he has ditched the bent-knee setup in favour of a more athletic position, helping him stay relaxed at the plate. Finally, he’s abandoned the toe tap and transitioned to a mini leg kick, which has helped out his timing.

Varsho, who was acquired from Arizona in exchange for Gabriel Moreno and Loudes Gurriel Jr. back in 2022, may have secured his biggest moment as a Blue Jay, delivering with a go-ahead grand slam in the sixth inning, giving the Blue Jays a 4-0 lead in a must-win game. In fact, it seemed like the biggest moment of the 2025 season.

MLB.com included Varsho in a recent article highlighting under-the-radar picks to be postseason stars. Although they were right about him being a postseason star, he's graduated from "under-the-radar" status in the eyes of many Jays fans.

The lights are never too bright for Varsho, as we saw the other night with his massive hit. He possesses a mix of game-changing power, elite defence in center field, and above-average speed on the base paths. Factor in his energy and consistency down the stretch, and it’s simple for fans to envision Varsho being a superstar in this year's postseason.