The Diamondbacks entered play on Thursday ranked 29th in the league in runs scored and tied for the worst record in baseball so they reached down to their alternate training site and promoted C/OF Daulton Varsho. Varsho brings a well-rounded offensive skill set and some newly added versatility to the club which gives him many different avenues to find playing time. Let’s dive into the 2017 second-round pick.
The Rankings
Varsho ranked fifth in our Arizona Diamondbacks Top 30. He was 66th on our Pre-season Top 100 prospect list and 81st on our Dynasty Prospects list.
The Tools
Defense (45 field/45 throw): The questions with Varsho’s profile really begin and end on the defensive side of the ball. While he’s worked hard to improve his throwing and receiving he’s a below-average backstop due to sub-par arm strength and framing abilities. His athleticism shows out while he’s moving laterally and blocking pitches and also helps create a quick transfer but sub-par framing and receiving skills make him a poor fit to be an everyday catcher in this era. The arrival of an automated strike zone still wouldn’t guarantee that Varsho sticks behind the plate. An automatic zone would place an emphasis on arm strength, and while his arm is accurate, he lacks arm strength. If he moves off the position I think he fits best in left, and I think he can be above-average out there due to plus instincts.
Hit (55 present/60 future): Varsho made significant strides at the dish in ‘19, and did so while drastically dropping his K-rate from just over 20% to 13.9% without sacrificing any power. He works pitchers and will attack when he gets the pitch he’s looking for. He finished in the top ten in every statistical category in the Southern League with a short, efficient stroke that’s direct to the ball and uses all fields.
Power (50 present/55 future): Varsho is more of a gap-to-gap hitter than he is a traditional power hitter. Most of his pop comes from his strong lower half and I see him developing at least average game power with a chance for more due to the strong hit tool and all fields approach. All but three of his 18 homers left the yard to his pull side, but he will spray the ball all over. Think 30+ doubles and 20-22 homers as a peak season.
Speed (60 present/55 future): He’s a unicorn. Varsho is the only “catching” prospect with plus speed, and at least average hit and power tools on any of our main prospect lists. He’s an instinctual baserunner that will take the extra base, whilst also being a legitimate stolen base threat. The speed and athleticism is so real, the Diamondbacks actually put him in centerfield, drawing rave reviews for his reactions and reads despite inexperience out there.
Prediction: Currently it looks as if Varsho will be yet another bench option for the Diamondbacks and the hope is that he will immediately hit enough to earn a spot in the lineup. I don’t believe he will spend significant time behind the plate for Arizona but I wouldn’t rule it out in garbage time. I can see him outperforming Jake Lamb and taking over the DH role, or at the least moving someone else there in his favor. He’s someone to pick up in 12+ team or higher leagues or in any size league with two catchers due to his immense upside. He has rare five-category skills, just needs the playing time to succeed.