The “aircraft carrier” type players can carry a team for some periods, but it takes contributions from up and down the roster. Sometimes, players you’d least expect punch above their weight. Every good team needs those success stories to thrive.
The 2026 Blue Jays aren’t where they want to be in the standings, but they still have some of those unsung heroes on the roster. Last year, it was players like Davis Schneider, Tyler Heineman, Braydon Fisher, and Tommy Nance. This year, there are a handful of unheralded names who deserve their flowers.
Daulton Varsho
Despite his astronomical at-bat per home run ratio of 12.4 last season, it’s safe to say Daulton Varsho probably isn’t going to have the breakout 30+ home run season everyone was banking on. His 42.2 AB/HR ratio this season is the highest of his career, and although he hit five home runs in 19 spring training games, the power simply hasn’t been there.
It hasn’t been a typical year for Varsho on defense either, as it seems like he’s missed a step in the outfield. Last year, he was one of the best outfielders in baseball regarding jump time, and this year, he’s middle of the pack.
Suffice it to say, Varsho has still been an important contributor to the Blue Jays this year. The Jays can typically depend on Varsho’s defense and baserunning to be good, but he’s offered more with his bat than any of his other tools, surprisingly.
With a 9.3% walk rate on the year, he gets on base at a decent clip and chips in the odd home run. It’s been odd to see his power numbers take a sudden nosedive, but Varsho is an important left-handed hitter in Toronto’s lineup.
Patrick Corbin
Signed as a free agent in response to Cody Ponce’s injury, Corbin has come through and delivered decent innings for this team.
Mostly a five-and-dive guy, Corbin has collected only one quality start through his first 11 games of the season, but he has tiptoed around disaster, despite an expected ERA of 5.28 on the season. Armed with one of the slowest fastballs in the majors, the left-hander has done a great job of limiting walks and avoiding home runs.
But in an interesting twist of events, Corbin may actually end up being the reinforcement the Blue Jays needed all along.
Louis Varland
While bad batted ball luck is continuing to plague Jeff Hoffman, the Blue Jays made a pivot to hand the closer’s role to Varland. It completely changed how late-game situations have unfolded for the Blue Jays since then. Varland is 10 for 10 in save attempts, and his ability to lock things down no longer makes it a nervous ninth inning.
Baseball Savant
Varland’s strikeout numbers have come back down to earth after his strong start to the season, but by keeping the ball on the ground, he often avoids disaster, unlike Hoffman. There are very few sure things in baseball, but a shutdown inning from the right-hander is one of the most automatic ways to end a game with a lead.
He leads all MLB relievers with a 3.0 Win Probability Added by Pitcher, which is miles ahead of Mason Miller, who has a 2.1 WPA. By now, Varland has not just captured the attention of Blue Jays devotees; he’s on everyone’s radar now. “Unsung” may be a bit of a misnomer, but even after winning a Reliever of the Month award, he’s still underappreciated.
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