Blue Jays Closer Louis Varland's Weapon That Has Made His Season Historic
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Louis Varland is having a historic season with the Toronto Blue Jays.
On Thursday, he recorded his 32nd save of the season and lowered his ERA to 1.16, the best among all Major League relievers this year, moving ahead of the San Diego Padres’ flamethrower, Mason Miller (1.27).
The Blue Jays won the season series against the Cleveland Guardians for the first time since 2021. Behind a 4.2-inning outing from José Soriano, who allowed six hits and three runs, the bullpen once again handled the rest of the way without allowing a run.
Varland closed the door with a strikeout of rookie Dominican Angel Genao with runners on first and second. He also recorded the fastest pitch of his career, a four-seam fastball at 101.5 mph on his second pitch to Nathaniel Lowe.
But the key to Varland has not been just his velocity. When it comes to major adjustments, credit has to go to Varland’s talent and the work of the Blue Jays. He is now not only a pitcher with elite power on his fastball and a devastating knuckle curve: he has an additional weapon, his uncomfortable changeup, which is generating a 40% whiff rate, per Statcast.
Varland ranks third in the American League—with a minimum of 250 batters faced—in chase rate on pitches outside the zone (36.5%), following another former Blue Jays reliever, Jeff Hoffman (37.4%), and Red Sox left-hander Jake Bennett (37%). His 31.5% strikeout rate is the sixth-best mark in the American League, and his 98.7 mph average fastball is the fourth-fastest.
Something I always like to highlight about Varland’s profile is his ability to maintain his focus and durability. He can pitch consistently on consecutive days and still has the strength he developed in Minnesota when he was part of the starting rotation. The results speak for themselves: Varland has become the seventh pitcher in franchise history to record at least 30 saves in a season before September, and the first since Jordan Romano (31) in 2023.
The difference between Varland and other closers is that he remains highly effective. He converted his first 24 save opportunities this season and has blown just one. The 24-for-24 streak is the third-longest in a single season in franchise history, surpassed only by Jordan Romano (26 in 2023) and Tom Henke (25 in 1991).
An Unprecedented Season in Toronto
Let’s go back for a second to Opening Day, with Jeff Hoffman taking the mound to record the final three outs of the ninth inning against the Athletics at Rogers Centre. Hoffman blew a one-run lead. The story repeated itself three times in his first nine relief appearances. At the end of April, the Blue Jays decided to try Varland as their closer. From that point on, stability arrived, and Hoffman was eventually sent to the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline.
Varland has handled the pressure and workload at an unprecedented level among the top relievers in Blue Jays history.
Best ERA+ by Blue Jays Relievers With at Least 30 Saves
Varland stands out in three key areas: his impressive ERA and the consistent way he has limited walks and home runs. Among the best relievers in franchise history included in this ranking, Varland has the lowest HR/9 rate (0.3). B. J. Ryan’s 2006 season remains one of the most memorable when it comes to dominance as a closer, without forgetting Duane Ward and his 45 saves in the 1993 season. Tom Henke (12.3 K/9) has the highest strikeout rate, while Roberto Osuna has the best FIP (1.74), although Varland is close behind at 1.81.
The Blue Jays are 47-16 in Varland’s appearances, as he continues to lead a bullpen that is carrying the weight of a rotation that has had to navigate multiple injuries and inconsistencies while keeping the team’s postseason hopes alive.
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Yirsandy is a baseball writer specializing in MLB coverage with experience across multiple teams and storylines. He currently writes for Diamond Centric, where he covers the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and Kansas City Royals. My work focuses on game coverage, player analysis, and storytelling that connects performance with context. My Substack has also been an important part of my writing development, where I’ve built much of my baseball coverage and storytelling voice over time. I’m passionate about combining reporting, research, and thoughtful analysis to produce engaging baseball content for readers.
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