The 2026 Toronto Blue Jays have been struggling to find their footing this year, just a season removed from being a few outs away from becoming World Series champions. Injuries have played a major part in the lacklustre record, although some key contributors have also not been stepping up when the club has needed some key hits or plays early this season.

However, while a few storylines from the Blue Jays’ season have been more positive in nature (Ernie Clement’s continued success from the 2025 postseason being one of them), nobody has shone brighter on the current roster than reliever Louis Varland.

The 28-year-old Minnesota product joined the Jays at the trade deadline last summer, and one of the benefits of this trade was that he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Varland is hitting arbitration for the first time next season and will have a few more years of the process before he’s eligible for free agency. Twins fans were shocked that the front office traded a hometown product, and this deal could become a highlight of Ross Atkins’ tenure when all is said and done over the coming years.

Statistically speaking, Varland has been one of the top relievers across the entire Major Leagues this season.

He’s tied with Padres fireballer Mason Miller with a 1.6 fWAR and leads all qualified big league relief staff in ERA (0.26). He also ranks in the top five in terms of xERA (1.79), FIP (1.29), and SIERA (1.98) and has allowed just one earned run all season long. Across 34 2/3 innings, Varland has allowed 24 hits, nine walks, and has struck out 45 batters for a tidy 11.7 K/9. The right-hander has amassed a 0.952 WHIP and a 2.3 BB/9 for his efforts, while also holding opponents to a .197/.250/.221 slash line and a .471 OPS.

Varland started the year as a key setup man in the Jays’ bullpen, and after Jeff Hoffman struggled to find his footing in the closer’s role, it was the former Twin who stepped up to take on the role.

Dubbed ‘The Committee’ because of how manager John Schneider wouldn’t tip his hand to who would take over the closer’s spot initially, Varland ran away with the honour and has 11 saves on the season.

Taking a look at his Statcast metrics, you won’t find many blemishes.

Varland ranks above the 50th percentile in each pitching category, and ranks in the 90th percentile or higher in 10 categories. He ranks in the 100th percentile in xERA, 99th percentile in Barrel% (1.3), and in the 98th percentile in K% (34.1) and GB% (60.3).

Overall, he’s produced a +12 pitching run value, slotting him in the 94th percentile. A lot of that comes from his four-seam fastball, which ranks at a +6 on the season, but one of the big reasons he is finding success on the mound is his increased use of the changeup, which sits at 15.5% compared to last year at 4.7%.

It’s a pitch that Varland admitted he had been working on during the offseason when he spoke to Blue Jays Nation, and he’s now enjoying the fruits of that labour during the regular season.

Opponents own a .149 xBA and a .178 xSLG on the four-seamer, which has also generated a 24.2 Whiff% and a 36.4 K% as well. His changeup is producing similar results (albeit with a smaller sample size) to the tune of a .181 xBA, .239 xSLG, and a .181 xwOBA, which does sit higher than the fastball (.213). His changeup is also driving the highest Whiff% and PutAway% across all five pitches (38.9 and 30.3, respectively), and he’s finding ways to handle batters from both sides of the plate.

The statistics alone are showing that Varland is in the upper echelon of relievers this season, and he’s been a key workhorse for a Blue Jays squad that has needed some stability through the times of injury and struggles across the roster. While there is still a good chunk of the season to go, the Jays’ closer has established himself as one of the toughest arms to face out of the bullpen, and the organization will need him to continue his dominant ways at the back end of their relief corps.

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