How Louis Varland Became the AL's Best Reliever of the Month to Start 2026
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Professional baseball is well underway, and that means the first round of personal accolades has come and gone. MLB insiders and writers have voted as to who warranted the first American League Reliever of the Month, amongst other top titles, and it isn't shocking that Louis Varland was up for the award.
It is hard to say that one pitcher, or one player, is more important than another, as this is a team sport, but if forced to, Varland's importance as a closer for the Toronto Blue Jays is nearly impossible to glance over.
As Varland continues to be a nightmare for hitters, he earns his first (of many) accolades this season as he was named the American League Reliever of the Month. This was an honor he deserved as he continues to retire batters at a rapid pace.
A Look at Varland's Biggest Highlights So Far
Varland has been incredible this year as he has posted a 0.53 ERA, and 1.06 WHIP to complement 28 strikeouts in 17 innings. However, some performances definitely stick out more than others and the first that comes to mind is the 30-pitch inning against the Cleveland Guardians.
It wouldn't have been shocking to see as long an inning as the 9th in that Guardians game turn into quite a problem, but Varland pitched himself out of a jaw-clenching jam that he put himself in as he loaded the bases on himself for the last two outs of the game.
Instead of a Blue Jays' L, Varland was rewarded the save as he not only recorded the final pair of outs in the ninth, but did so in strikeout fashion without allowing another run to score. Then, Varland made himself available the following evening.
Louis Varland's First 15 Games of 2026:
— Chris Black (@DownToBlack) April 29, 2026
16 IP, 1 run, 4 saves, 26 strikeouts, 4 walks pic.twitter.com/3TRhwoGkMF
The next couple of games for Varland were both recorded as saves to finish out the month for the Jays' closer at Rogers Centre. Varland faced six batters in those games and struck out five in phenomenal outings for the 28-year-old.
The Jays are gearing up for a pretty tough stretch as they will finish this cross-country road trip in Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Rays before heading back to Canada for a six-game homestand. Look to John Schneider giving Varland the nod in crucial spots to get this ballclub back over .500 while the team tries to get healthy.
Congrats to Varland and the Jays for this honor, and let's hope for big things in both the team's and pitcher's futures.
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Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.