Toronto Blue Jays reliever Louis Varland was praised by teammate Patrick Corbin, who said that “he easily could be a closer for a long time.”
Last week, the Blue Jays stripped former closer Jeff Hoffman of his ninth-inning duties and said they would be taking a closer-by-committee approach to the role. Since then, the team has had two save chances against the Cleveland Guardians, and Varland received both opportunities to shut the door on the team. He was successful in both save opportunities, earning his second and third career saves, with his first coming last week in a game against the Los Angeles Angels when he relieved Hoffman following another failed outing by the team’s former ninth-inning man.
Varland has been incredible for the Blue Jays this year, posting a minuscule 0.60 ERA in 14 games, while posting eye-popping advanced stats that make him look like one of baseball’s most elite relief pitchers. His performance has not been lost on his teammates, who are in awe of what he has done so far.
“His stuff’s electric and just he’s a competitor. He’s fun to watch. With this type of stuff, he easily could be a closer for a long time,” said Blue Jays starter Patrick Corbin, who opened Sunday’s game for the team, a 4-2 win over the Guardians in a successful rubber match in their weekend series.
“When you have guys like that at the back of the line it makes it really hard on the other team,” Corbin added (via Sportsnet).
Louis Varland Praised by Manager John Schneider
Not only is Varland winning over his teammates, but he is also winning over his manager, as Blue Jays skipper John Schneider admitted he has the utmost confidence in Varland closing out games.
“Louis, he wants the ball. And he’s been here long enough and I’ve pitched him enough to understand when he’s good and when he needs a blow. He just loves to pitch,” Schneider said.
While Varland has not officially been appointed as the team’s closer, the fact that he has been given the first two cracks at closing games since Hoffman lost his job is an indication that the team likes him in this role. Of course, after pitching in two straight games this weekend, Varland will likely get a rest on Monday against the Boston Red Sox, so another reliever will potentially get a save opportunity if one comes up.
Blue Jays Have Other Ninth-Inning Options
In addition to Varland, the Blue Jays have several other options to close out games in the ninth inning, including submariner Trevor Rogers, sophomores Braydon Fisher and Mason Fluharty, and, when he returns from the IL, veteran Yimi Garcia. There is also the chance the team could give Hoffman another shake at things in the ninth inning, but with the team having other capable relievers, he would likely be a last option for the team at this point. Still, with Varland looking capable as an elite MLB closer, the Blue Jays are in good hands moving forward.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Louis Varland Praised by Jays Teammate: ‘Easily Could Be Closer For a Long Time’ appeared first on HEAVY.