The Toronto Blue Jays new closer Louis Varland has been a force so far this season. Moved into the closer role in late April, Varland has been posting unheard of numbers.
Jeff Hoffman Struggled
Jeff Hoffman struggled in the closer’s role early in the season leaving an opening. Varland took over that role. Since that time, he has helped stabilize the entire bullpen with his effectiveness. Yet no one really knows that he is quietly having one of the best reliever seasons in a long time.
Unheard of Numbers
Through Saturday, Varland has appeared in 29 games with 33.1innings pitched. He has been nearly unhittable and currently holds an unbelievable 0.27 ERA. Taking over as the closer, he has converted all save opportunities—ten—with 43 strikeouts. Varland earned the Reliever of the Month award for March/April.
https://www.mlb.com/bluejays/video/louis-varland-in-play-out-s-to-austin-riley
Unusual Closer
Varland is an unusual closer who frequently goes beyond one inning of work. He has done this on eight occasions thus far while still maintaining that exclusive strikeout rate. Manager John Schneider commented that Varland is willing to come in at any time to hold the lead and secure the win. He continues to show it with his ability to pitch on back-to-back days. With Schneider’s praise also comes trust—Varland has earned that.
Called Upon Frequently
The Toronto Blue Jays new closer Louis Varland has been a force. No reliever in the AL has thrown as many innings. He’s striking out more than a third of the batters he faces while allowing fewer walks than league average. Something that hindered him in the past was keeping the ball on the ground. However, by improving his changeup and slider to induce weak contact, he has increased his groundball out efficiency.
https://www.mlb.com/bluejays/video/louis-varland-discusses-his-closing-dominance
Acquired Last Season
Looking for a bullpen arm for their playoff run, the Blue Jays acquired Varland at last year’s trade deadline. In a surprise move, the Minnesota Twins held a fire sale, and the St. Paul native they drafted was gone. He later mentioned that it took time to adjust to being relocated from his hometown.
Increased Confidence
After being demoted to the bullpen by the Twins, Varland has reinvented himself as a high-leverage weapon. He has also seen a rise in his confidence since transitioning from that struggling starter to now one of MLB’s most dominant relievers. Last season, he set an MLB record for appearances by a pitcher in a single postseason with 15 and had a 3.94 ERA over 16 innings.
Found his Calling
The Toronto Blue Jays new closer Louis Varland has been a force and seems to have found his calling in the bullpen. The right-handed pitcher has been the best relief pitcher in the AL through the first 65 games of the season. It is still early, however, and chances are he will likely hit a tough spot in his pitching. The good news is that his current performance has built his confidence level so that tough spot shouldn’t take him down for long. And, if he continues with those historic numbers, Varland could be mentioned as a Cy Young Award candidate.
