Daulton Varsho gets zero respect in latest MLB centerfielder rankings despite elite numbers
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Victor William
Jan 31, 2026 (8:04 PM)
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Photo credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
The "Shredder" at MLB Network clearly has a glitch, because ranking Daulton Varsho as the 8th best center fielder in baseball is a comedy of errors.
Once again, the national media looks at the batting average and ignores the fact that Varsho is quite literally a defensive wizard who changes the geometry of the game.
The official list dropped last night, and seeing names like Trent Grisham and Andy Pages ahead of him or in the mix feels like a practical joke.
Daulton Varsho (Drafted Round 2, 2017 by Diamondbacks) is coming off a 2025 season where he posted an .832 OPS and mashed 20 homers in just 71 games due to injury.
If you extrapolate that to a full season, he is a 40-homer threat with Gold Glove defense.
Speaking of defense, did they forget he led the majors in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) recently?.
He is the Platinum Glove standard, yet he gets treated like a borderline starter.
Fans on social media are rightfully livid, pointing out that Varsho is a "one-man run prevention unit."
Varsho is not the only one to get disrespected this off-season as the Blue Jays recently got some pretty bad odds to return to the World Series.
Defense wins championships, rankings win nothing
Even the fan vote gave him more respect, placing him at No. 5, which feels closer to reality.
But to have "The Shredder" put him at No. 8 behind guys who haven't accomplished half of what he has is baffling.
Maybe it’s the Canadian market bias, or maybe they just don't watch Blue Jays games late at night.
Local commentary is already roasting the list, noting that Varsho's impact goes way beyond the box score. https://x.com/MLB/status/2017418405880401935?s=20
We know the truth: when Varsho is in center, gap hits disappear.
He turns doubles into outs and home runs into highlight reels.
Let the "experts" sleep on him.
It just means the chip on his shoulder is going to be that much bigger when he takes the field in 2026.
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