From Division II to (nearly) every day, Varland thriving with Blue Jays' trust

If you go to a Blue Jays game, chances are you’re going to see Louis Varland. That wouldn’t be surprising if he were a position player – after all, Vlad Guerrero Jr. has suited up for at least 156 games every year since 2021. But Varland is a relief pitcher. Rather than using Varland as a “break glass in case of emergency” arm, manager John Schneider has leaned on the young right-hander as an important safety valve, an almost constant presence on the mound in the game’s biggest moments.

Entering Wednesday’s action, Varland had appeared in the eighth-most games of any reliever in the Majors since the start of last year. His 15 appearances last October set the record for most games pitched in a single postseason.

“He’s kind of a different animal,” Schneider said about Varland during last year’s postseason. “It’s not normal to put a guy in as much as I have and have his stuff be consistent. I was talking to [Blue Jays GM] Ross [Atkins] at the [Trade] Deadline. He was one guy that I really wanted to acquire.”

Fortunately, that’s just how Varland likes it.

“For my sake, the more I pitch, the better I feel, the better I think my stuff is.” Varland told MLB.com while the team was in New York earlier this month. “If I take too long in between outings, I don't know if I do, but I feel like I lose some touch. Being out there every other day, or a couple days in a row, more often than not, I think keeps me sharp.”

He also thrives with the responsibility being given to him.

“It means a lot, honestly,” Varland said. “Not to be counted on, but to be trusted, even when sometimes you blow the moment. That has obviously happened, but having the team trust you like that? It means a lot.”

Varland doesn’t blow the moment very often. Entering Wednesday, Varland had a 0.33 ERA while striking out 13 batters per nine innings. When he does struggle, though, he calls upon the short-term memory that high-leverage relievers need to be successful.

“You gotta forget about it and move on,” Varland said. “You can't let what you did in the past affect anything that happens in the present or the future. [I know I’m] going to be pitching again, so I might as well have a good attitude towards it, rather than moping around from the previous outing.”

It’s a little remarkable that Varland is here. Originally born in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he and his brother, Gus, grew up playing baseball together, both boys then went to nearby Division II Concordia University. Before the Varlands – Gus is currently pitching for the Nationals – only three players from Concordia had ever reached the Majors, and none since Paul Hinrichs appeared in four games for the Red Sox in 1951.

“We both went to Concordia St. Paul, small little private school in Minnesota,” Varland said. “And then a couple scouts started coming to the games for Gus, and he got drafted. And then they found out he had a little brother. Same thing happened to me. A couple scouts came to my games, just a little bit of exposure is what we got, and we just took it and ran. We're extremely lucky to be in the situation we are right now.”

It also meant that Varland’s first few Major League seasons were in front of his hometown fans, with Target Field just a seven-mile drive from Concordia’s campus. There, he was able to pull on the same jersey that his childhood pitching heroes – Johan Santana and Joe Nathan – put on.

“It was great to play for my hometown team,” Varland said. “I grew up a Twins fan, had Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau posters on my wall growing up, and I was playing for the same team as they did. It was a dream come true. That's what everybody dreams of. I think every player should have the opportunity to play for their hometown team.”

Traded to the Blue Jays at the Deadline last year with Ty France in exchange for Alan Roden and Kendry Rojas, Varland has now found a comfortable home in Toronto, helping the team on its World Series run last year before earning the AL Reliever of the Month Award in April.

“[Toronto is] very similar. We're kind of in the same horizontal longitude, latitude coordinates of atmosphere and weather and all that,” Varland said. “Toronto is obviously a way bigger city, but it's pretty similar. It's not like playing for your hometown team, but it's a very cool experience playing in Toronto as well.”

Now helping the Blue Jays stay afloat in a crowded American League postseason picture, Varland has added closing duties to his usual late-inning shutdown role, picking up the first six saves of his career. Regardless of how Schneider plans on using him, Varland is excited for the opportunity.

“Any time I can pitch in a Major League game – playoffs, regular season, doesn't matter – I'm excited for it,” Varland said. “I think keeping an optimistic attitude toward every outing, every opportunity is the best thing for you. It builds confidence. You're not out there scared. I guess you're always nervous, but it’s a good nervous.”