AL DIVISION SERIES: YANKEES VS BLUE JAYS

October 5, 2025

Daulton Varsho

Rogers Centre

Toronto Blue Jays

Pregame 2 Press Conference

Q. What was it like with the atmosphere, kind of the pregame ceremony, everything that kind of happened yesterday? What was your perspective on it?

DAULTON VARSHO: It was pretty cool. A lot like Opening Day, but a little bit different. A lot more excitement for the fans. Obviously I think the O Canada was a great thing because everybody got into it and the fans and the crowd, and they all sang it. So it was pretty cool.

Q. I feel like this playoff series a lot of people focus on the big bats, the home runs, the offenses. What do you think defense brings in the playoffs compared to the regular season perhaps?

DAULTON VARSHO: I think we've been consistent all year with that, knowing that defense is a big value for our team. So knowing that when we can play the best defense we can, that's how we are as a team. We're grinding out everything. We're going to have close games. Just got to trust ourselves and our pitchers to be able to throw strikes and be able to play good defense behind them.

Q. Over the past couple years here, you've had some serious success against left-handed pitchers, even relative to against righties. With these two coming up in the next two games, what are you looking for, and what's the challenge with Fried and Rodón?

DAULTON VARSHO: They're two of the best pitchers in the game. They're really, really good. They do a good job against lefties of manipulating the ball to be able to do different stuff. But got to stay consistent, got to get a strike that I can something with and make the best swing I can.

Q. Going into the trade deadline in late July, you were already a first place team, but adding Bieber, adding Domínguez, Varland, what do you think that did for you to making a more complete team going into the playoffs and down the stretch?

DAULTON VARSHO: I think they gelled into our clubhouse really well. We accepted them and they were a part of our clubhouse the whole season, it felt like. I think it's cool for them to come and be able to produce and do really well for us and also be part of the clubhouse like they've been there the whole season.

I thought that was the best part about it, that they fit our mold and group really well.

Q. You've been a teammate with Alejandro Kirk now for a little while. What have you seen from him this year specifically with the kind of success he's had, and what kind of a teammate is he? He's a pretty quiet guy to us. What kind of a teammate is he?

DAULTON VARSHO: He's no different. He's still the same quiet guy. It's only until you get to really know him, kind of get to talk with him. Loves family. Loves talking about my family with my little girl. And then we kind of spark the conversation with his.

When you get to know him a little bit, you get to understand that he's just a normal quiet guy, but he enjoys playing baseball. This year I think for him, he's just being him. He's not trying to do anything more. He's being Alejandro Kirk, and he's doing everything he can to help the team win.

Q. You guys have a pretty high standard of outfield defense over the last couple years. How has Nate come in and held that up regularly, as a left or right fielder around you?

DAULTON VARSHO: Yeah, it's definitely difficult going from left and right. I know that from personal experience. Obviously when you have played different corner positions, the ball coming off the bat, the swings, it's all different. For him to be able to do what he's done throughout the season, it's a big thing because he's been able to play both positions so well.

For me playing center field, knowing he's in the outfield is very comfortable. We have really good communication. It's like when me and KK were out there, it was easy. It was easy to communicate with each other. With him, I know what balls he can get to. He knows what balls I can get to, so it's easy for us to be out there together.

Q. People who don't know this team might look at Myles Straws' numbers and think he hasn't been a big part of the team. Obviously everybody in here knows better. Can you tell us on the field and in the clubhouse what he's meant to this team?

DAULTON VARSHO: On the field, he took over my role, which is awesome. To be able to fill in my shoes and do what he did to help the team win every day was great. Everybody loved him. In the clubhouse, he's the guy that plays cards, and he's a card shark. You kind of have to stay away from him a little bit.

He's a great teammate. He's a guy where he doesn't do more than what he needs to do. And that's what makes him so good is that he's able to be himself and not have to try to be this super human guy and just go out there and play baseball and do everything he can to help the team win.

Q. Yesterday Trey told us that he's built for this. In your eyes, what makes him well suited for a fourth career start in the postseason?

DAULTON VARSHO: I got to know Trey a little bit when I was rehabbing. He was just different. The way you talk to him, he's already very mature for his age. He's just one of those guys where the presence on the mound is a little bit different, and it's just like he works really hard. He knows what he needs to do. He's prepared. You don't really find as many of those qualities of being humble and also being confident at such a young age.

I think the way he said it, he's built for this, I think he is. He's built for this moment knowing how to calm himself down in these big pressure situations. All we're asking him to do is go out there and give it everything he's got tonight and see what happens.

Q. That sixth inning, the way Kev navigated that spot with Judge, Bellinger, and then Rice there, as a hitter, when you have a pitcher who's not budging even though the bases are loaded, can you describe maybe the challenge in not being overanxious and trying to force it and then seeing a pitcher who's just not willing to put anything across the plate or anything that you can do damage with?

DAULTON VARSHO: Yeah, I thought Kevin did a great job of locating his splitter yesterday. I think that stood out to me, playing center. Just put them in a very vulnerable position because he's able to stick that fastball down middle as well.

So understanding that you're going to try to take a shot every once in a while, but obviously you have to try to control your adrenaline and control your emotions and being able to get a pitch you can do damage with. But I thought Kevin did a great job of making the right pitches at the right time.

Q. Just back to Kirk for a second, it's been a while since you've been a catcher, but you've got that center field view you're looking in. What are you seeing from him behind the plate as a catcher and the things that he's doing back there?

DAULTON VARSHO: Yeah, he's everything you want in a catcher, being able to manipulate the ball and being able to make a good presentation to the umpire. Arguably, probably the best catcher in the league doing that. Also has a good arm. So it's like he's kind of got everything under his belt with blocking as well.

All those things are really kind of intangibles knowing that the ABS system is coming in. It's one of those things that as catchers you take pride in. You enjoy it because that is your job. You try to steal strikes for your pitchers, you block the ball, you throw out people.

So understanding all that and knowing that he has done that this year, I hope he has the opportunity to win a Gold Glove because it's a pretty cool honor. Hopefully he gets that award to be able to kind of put that on his shelf.

Q. Some of the Red Sox players said in the Wild Card round the atmosphere at Yankee Stadium was so loud there they couldn't hear each other. What do you expect, and how do you prepare for something like that?

DAULTON VARSHO: I would say it's no different than here. Obviously every stadium is different. But as an outfielder you already have kind of nonverbal signals, so everybody kind of has their cues in knowing what I'm trying to say to them and they kind of know the same thing back. We've practiced that since spring, and we're all set and prepared for that.

Q. Vlad had a big game yesterday and was very energetic in the field, in the dugout. When you're seeing that, guys in the dugout are seeing that energy from Vlad, what does that do for you guys?

DAULTON VARSHO: It's just him being him. He's like a little kid whenever he's enjoying playing baseball. It was good to see him have fun out there and be himself because I think we all have known that from this last month frustration kind of came out. But knowing that he's having fun again and enjoying baseball, it's really fun to see.