Toronto Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho has decided to make some massive changes
Photo credit: NBC News
During the offseason, as new hitting coach David Popkins started forming connections with his players and Daulton Varsho recovered from shoulder surgery, Popkins conducted an in-depth analysis of the Gold Glove center fielder's swing.
Let's just say that Popkins has helped Varsho rediscover his offensive game since returning from injury.
Toronto Blue Jays' overhauled hitting program is helping outfielder Daulton Varsho rediscover his offensive game.
Though hesitant to reveal too much, Popkins likens his approach to that of a detective, analyzing every swing a player has made to spot physical patterns, pinpointing what looks right when things are going well and what changes when struggles arise, all to identify the key elements of that hitter's optimal setup at the plate.
«Every time a player has success, there are typically clues that are left behind, success tends to do that. And it's trying to see in these multiple windows in different time periods, how has he moved and are the moves similar? Like, hey, when he moves really small into his back-side, it's been good this year, this year and this year. Completely different swings, but the same movement. You collect as many of those as you can, and you see the starting point that's natural to him.» -Popkins
According Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, the analysis of Varsho's swing showed that he performs at his best when he keeps his bat vertical during his load. This positioning helps him stay above the ball and connect with more pitches. In contrast, last season his bat tended to flatten too much, which caused his swing path to dip below the ball more often.
"So far in 2025, in a sample of 57 plate appearances that's notable but too small to draw definitive conclusions from, his average exit velocity of 93.2 m.p.h. is nearly six miles an hour above his career rate, he's set a new exit velocity high at 113.9 m.p.h., has a sweet-spot percentage of 38.2 per cent that's six per cent better than his career mark and a hard-hit rate of 50 per cent, a major jump from his 36.5 per cent average." -Davidi
Manager John Schneider believes the adjustments Varsho has made are the reason his recent success at the plate is more sustainable, rather than just another temporary hot streak like in previous seasons.
«It's just allowing his barrel to be a little bit more accurate. I know Spring Training is tough to gauge, but you kind of saw it there, and guys figure out things at different times. I'm not comparing him to Jose Bautista, but I think that's the one that jumps out as you figure something out mechanically, and it just gives you a better shot every single time. So, I think that Varsh is still like an untapped resource offensively. He's got all the all the traits that lead you to think that he's going to be really damn good and I think he's starting to get there.» -Schneider
At the moment, Varsho is enjoying significant success, playing a key role in a lineup that's relied on him, while also benefiting from the revamped hitting program aimed at helping the team recover lost momentum.
We can thank hitting coach David Popkins for his great work!
Previously on Blue Jays Insider
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