Daulton Varsho starts season in spotlight

MARSHFIELD – Daulton Varsho is having a memorable year.

With a new baby, a spot on a professional baseball team and a supportive wife and family, Varsho was already riding a wave of success, but this season is bringing so much more for the MLB standout.

Since being activated from the injury list this spring, the Marshfield area native has been making his presence known on the Toronto Blue Jays roster.

Since his season debut, Varsho’s batting appears better than ever and his prowess on the field is making waves all over the internet.

Though he has appeared in just 35% of the Toronto games so far this season, Varsho leads the team in home runs — including an eighth-inning grand slam on May 21 — and is third in RBIs with 19 as of this writing.

The stats he is producing have bested anything Varsho has seen in a full season.

On the field, Varsho has been showing his athletic ability, verging on acrobatics.

In his season debut against the Red Sox, leadoff hitter Jarren Duran hit a fly ball toward Varsho in center field. Varsho fell as he went to catch the ball with his back toward home plate. On one knee, Varsho stuck his glove out behind his back still trying to catch the ball — and did.

Varsho looked more like a superhero than a center fielder when he climbed the wall in an attempt to stop a Tigers home run. While he wasn’t able to snag it, one photographer caught a mid-air photo that captured Varsho’s ability.

And on May 14, Varsho was featured in the “Daulton Varsho Gold Glove Bobblehead Giveaway” during the game against the Tampa Bay Rays, with 15,000 fans receiving the keepsake.

This is the second bobblehead for Varsho — his first was produced and distributed during his time with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“It was an honor to offer the first bobblehead of Daulton Varsho as well as the first bobblehead of Daulton with the Toronto Blue Jays. As a hometown hero and fellow Milwaukee Panther, it made it even more exciting than our typical bobblehead project. In addition, the first bobblehead that we produced was of Milwaukee Panther manager Michael Poll, who knows Daulton very well and has had a chance to see him play in the majors and meet with him after the games. Michael was extremely excited when we gave him Daulton's bobblehead,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum Co-Founder/CEO Phil Sklar recalled.

During Varsho’s bobblehead night, his mom, Kay, was able to throw out the first pitch.

"The bobblehead night was truly an honor for him and our family.  Having the opportunity to throw out the first pitch and throwing a strike to Daulton was an amazing experience.  I am thrilled that the Blue Jays wanted us to be part of his day,” Kay said.

Daulton’s dad, Gary — a former pro baseball outfielder himself, as well as manager and coach — knows that success doesn’t come without hard work.

"We are all excited that he is back on the field and playing again.  What he does on the field is exciting for all of us.  Sometimes, we all have to realize that he is playing in the best league in the world, and not every day is going to go well.  He is great at preparing for each game, and at the end of the day, because of his preparation, he gives himself the best opportunity to succeed,” Gary added.

The Varsho bobbleheads are available at https://store.bobbleheadhall.com.