logo
Blue Jays: Louis Varland has cemented himself among MLB’s best relievers
alt
Photo credit: © Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Aidan Sinclair
Jun 3, 2026, 16:45 EDTUpdated: Jun 3, 2026, 16:39 EDT
Comments
The award winners for May were recently announced, and when it came to Reliever of the Month, Louis Varland was robbed of winning the award yet again.
There aren’t enough superlatives to describe the type of season the Toronto Blue Jays’ fireballing right-hander is having to this point. But with a little more in-depth analysis, it quickly becomes apparent that his season has been historic, to say the least. 
Since the beginning of the expansion era in 1961, only two pitchers have had an ERA below Varland’s 0.29 through June 1st. Aroldis Chapman in 2012 and Dellin Betances in 2015 both had ERA’s of 0.00 on June first, then went on to receive Cy Young votes at the culmination of their respective seasons. If Varland continues on this track, he may not only receive Cy Young votes but also make a case to win the award. 
Varland has allowed just one earned run so through 31 innings pitched this season. At the same time, he’s struck out 42 batters, has walked just nine, is eight perfect in his eight save opportunities, and holds a 1517 ERA+ (league average is 100+). By comparison, Mason Miller, who was arguably seen as the most dominant closer heading into 2026, holds a 566 ERA+. This isn’t to suggest Miller has had a bad season by any means; it just exemplifies the absurd start to Varland’s campaign. 
Beyond the stat line, let’s take a deeper dive into how Varland is attacking hitters this season and finding such great success. When looking at his baseball savant page, not a single metric sits below the 60th percentile. He ranks in the 98th percentile for K%, Barrel%, and GB%, and by comparison, ranked in the 36th percentile in Barrel rate a season ago. 
Unlike the majority of closers around the league, Varland possesses a five-pitch mix, making him incredibly unpredictable late in games. He averages 98.4 mph with his four-seam fastball, using it 43% of the time, down two ticks from last year. His curveball is his next most used pitch at 29%, down from 38% last season. This comes as a result of a nine percent increase in changeup usage, up from five to fourteen percent this season. 
His changeup averages 92.7 mph, and after throwing just 50 total last season, he has already thrown 71 thus far with improved results. A .130 batting average against compared to a .214 average a season ago, and a 38.6% whiff rate compared to a 28% whiff rate in 2025. The most notable change has been the movement profile of the pitch, losing 1.4 inches of horizontal movement, to increase vertical movement. Last year, his changeup had 27.8 inches of vertical run, while now sitting at 29.9 this season. 
Lastly, he has increased his slider usage by four percent, and after it was hit to a .412 average a season ago, it has been incredibly effective to start 2026, inducing a .182 average and a weak 80.3 average exit velo. Simply put, not a single one of Varland’s five pitches has been hit hard at all this season, and he has cemented himself as not only the Blue Jays’ closer of the future, but one of, if not the best, closers in the game right now. 
The last time a reliever won a Cy Young was in 2003 when Canadian Eric Gagne accomplished the feat for the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitching to a 1.20 ERA in 82.1 innings and recording 55 saves. Though Varland won’t be able to come close to Gagne’s save total due to only becoming the full-time closer at the end of April, he is currently on pace to throw 82 innings this season, strike out 112 batters, and allow just three earned runs. 
With All-Star ballots now open, it is hard to imagine Varland won’t find himself representing the Blue Jays in Philadelphia come mid-July. Through the first 28 games of a season in Blue Jays history, Varland’s 0.29 ERA ranks as the best, surpassing B.J. Ryan’s mark of 0.61 in 2006. Aside from being the best Blue Jay arm through the first two months of a given season, he has undoubtedly been the best reliever in baseball in 2026.
Under control through the 2030 season, the Blue Jays have seemingly found a bulletproof arm that will stabilize the bullpen for years to come. As if April wasn’t good enough, posting a 0.56 ERA, he improved to a 0.00 ERA in May across 15 innings, somehow not winning the reliever of the month for the second consecutive month. Soon enough, he will receive the recognition he deserves, with a bid to the All-Star Game, guiding the Blue Jays’ bullpen with sheer dominance along the way.
Editorials
MORE NEWS. IN YOUR INBOX.
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Breaking News