The hard-throwing reliever was ever present in the playoffs, and he's been dominant here in 2026.
The Toronto Blue Jays blanked the Boston Red Sox 3-0 on Wednesday night at Fenway Park, taking the first two games of the three-game series from their division rivals.
After the sudden scratch of Max Scherzer just hours before gametime, the Blue Jays had to piece together a pitching plan. Braydon Fisher threw the first 1.1 innings before giving way to Simeon Woods-Richardson and five other relievers.
Louie Varland worked the ninth inning, striking out the side to secure his 14th save of the campaign. The hard throwing right-hander has an ERA of just 0.90 and is looking like an All-Star selection next month.
He's also making Blue Jays history on plenty of fronts.
As noted by StatsCentre, Varland's 0.00 ERA on the road is tied for the best through a Jays' pitchers first 16 road appearances, joining only Fisher (2025) and BJ Ryan (2006). His 12.4 strikeouts/9 are seventh in team history for a pitcher with at least 40 innings thrown.
His total ERA is the second-lowest in team history through his first 35 games, trailing only Ryan. Varland has now thrown in 36 games, which lowered the ERA to 0.90.
Varland was acquired last trade deadline from the Minnesota Twins and was a game-changer for the Jays during the run to the World Series. He pitched in nearly every postseason game and has proven to be incredibly valuable this year, also taking over as the closer in the wake of Jeff Hoffman's struggles.
Varland is under contract through 2030, so this deal has the ability to pay dividends for years to come.
Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Louis Varland (77) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning at Rogers Centre. Nick Turchiaro-Imagn ImagesUp next for Toronto
The Blue Jays will go for the sweep on Thursday at 1:35 p.m. ET. Right-hander Trey Yesavage will take the mound for Toronto against veteran righty Sonny Gray.
Yesavage is 3-3 with a 3.78 ERA while Gray, acquired this offseason, is 8-1 with a 3.03 ERA.
Also in the news
--Speaking of history: Blue Jays shortstop Andres Gimenez made a little more of it on Wednesday in the win, stealing three bases. He's the first player to steal three or more bases against the Red Sox since 2021, and the first Blue Jays player to do so since 2001.
--Scherzer is now on the injured list with the back spasms that had him scratched. Is there a chance that this is the end for the future Hall of Famer? It certainly feels that way.
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