WATCH: Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho makes incredible running catch to get Shohei Ohtani out
Daulton Varsho may not be heralded as an elite defender in center field, but it may be time to consider that statement. Not only do his defensive metrics show a stellar player, but his highlight reel does, too. And with Shohei Ohtani up to the plate on Sunday, he added to that reel with a jaw-dropping catch.
Ohtani sent a ball 402 feet off the bat with an exit velocity of 106.6 mph. It had a 9.0% chance of being an out, but Varsho made that a 100% certainty with a catch that needs to be seen to be believed.
Kevin Gausman delivered a changeup to the bottom of the zone on a full count and Ohtani was not fooled. It sent Varsho retreating immediately. After a slight miscalculation on the angle, he had to turn back the other way and reach across his body to make the falling grab. It involved a crash into the fence and a lost hat, too.
Per Baseball Savant, it was a barreled ball, which means Ohtani hit it within range of a perfect exit velocity and launch angle. It should have been extra bases and would have been a home run in the Los Angeles Dodgers' home park as well as Oracle Park in San Francisco.
Varsho has six defensive runs saved in the outfield for the Toronto Blue Jays this year. For his career in the outfield, he has 61 in 2,906 innings.
Daulton Varsho having incredible defensive season
Daulton Varsho spent 1,280 innings total in the outfield in 2023. He recorded 29 defensive runs saved. That was tied for the most with Fernando Tatis Jr. He put on a show last year and is off to a great start once again.
If he plays a comparable amount of innings in 2024, his current pace suggests that Varsho will record about 36 defensive runs saved. That would make him a virtual lock for every defensive award and give him one of the best defensive seasons ever.