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Daulton Varsho 2023 Player Outlook: 20-20 Upside at a Thin Position
2 years agoVarsho took a really big step forward in 2022, having the best season of his young career with 27 homers and 16 steals. He was a top-three catcher in rotisserie leagues and was probably the most valuable pick at the position given the draft price. An offseason trade sent him to Toronto, where he will be a starter in the outfield, taking the place of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. The downside with Varsho is a higher strikeout rate (24.5%), a lower batting average (career .234), and an inability to hit left-handed pitching (career 66 wRC+). All of that makes us very reliant on getting a near 20-20 season again, and he could certainly lose significant playing time against left-handed pitching with his new team. The silver lining is that it's really tough to find 20-20 at the catcher position, and Varsho is in a good place to do that in 2023. His upside is great as a thin position, but the draft cost has risen to match. Varsho probably won't sink your fantasy team in 2023, but there will very likely be much better value picks at the catcher position.
